United Nations Takes 'Between Two Seas' on Tour Across Egypt

As part of the National Council for Women (NCW)’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, and in cooperation with UN Women, feature film ‘Between Two Seas’ will be taken on a tour across Egypt's governorates. If you're familiar with the movie, it makes sense - it's a heart wrenching representation of important issues that women and young girls in Egypt are forced to grapple with. Written by Mariam Naoum, directed by Anas Tolba and starring Yara Goubran and Fatma Adel, 'Between Two Seas' addresses violence against women and female genital mutilation (FGM).

The film follows a character named Zahra, who visits her rural village and faces social injustices after her daughter endures a tragic experience. Zahra then insists on reclaiming her daughter’s rights and supporting her in finishing her education. The film has won 14 awards in local and international film festivals, including the award for Best Film at the Brooklyn International Film Festival, the award for best screenplay at Morocco’s Taza International Diversity Festival, and two awards at the Aswan International Film Festival.

The tour kicked off with a screening on November 27th and November 28th in Qena in the villages of Al-Ashrafiyah and Al-Kallasa, where around 100 women and men came in to watch. The session was followed by a discussion about the issues and misconceptions that were highlighted in the film, which was led by NCW representatives. The screenings will run through mid-December, in Damietta, Kafr El-Sheikh, Assiut, Luxor and Alexandria.

In October 2019, we sat down with the two leading actresses Goubran and Adel, where they told us about their win at the Brooklyn International Film Festival, the impact of the film on Egyptian society, and more.