Events

In 2011, the north of the Sahara experienced protests, major demonstrations and popular uprisings that gave rise to high hopes and were labeled under the term “Arab Spring”. Even if there were no radical major changes, perceptions changed on a smaller scale: Women are making their voices heard and fighting back against deep-rooted patriarchal practices. In the short film “Sahbety”, Ali desperately longs for closeness and follows a suggestion from his girlfriend that puts their relationship to the test and blurs gender roles. In “Big Little Women”, Swiss-Egyptian filmmaker Nadia Fares portrays different generations of feminists: The grande dame of Egyptian feminism, Nawal El Saadawi, was imprisoned in 2011 for making statements about virginity, abuse and autonomy. And three young women want to be financially independent, do not want to be tied down and do not see starting a family as the most important goal.

In the framework of Culturescapes Sahara 2025.