‘The Brink of Dreams’ Competes at the Chicago International Film Festival

"The Brink of Dreams" made its debut during the official competition of the Critics’ Week, with a notable presence from the film's cast and crew, including directors Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, as well as the talented girls of the Panorama El Barsha Troupe. The film garnered widespread acclaim from both audiences and critics, with outlets such as Le Monde, Variety, and Screen Daily praising its emotional depth and powerful storytelling.

Following its premiere, The Brink of Dreams embarked on a tour of prestigious international film festivals, including the Biarritz Film Festival, États généraux du film documentaire in France, DokuFest in Kosovo, Afrika Film Festival in Germany, and der NEUE HEIMAT Film Festival in Austria.

Directed by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir and produced by Felucca Films, "The Brink of Dreams" showcases the unique talents of the Panorama El Barsha Troupe, which includes Magda Masoud, Haidi Sameh, Monika Youssef, Marina Samir, Myriam Nassar, Lydia Haroun, and the troupe's founder, Youstina Samir. The film continues to captivate audiences worldwide with its poignant narrative and evocative performances.

The events of "The Brink of Dreams" take place in a remote village in southern Egypt, in which a group of girls rebel by forming an all-female street theatre troupe. They dream of becoming actresses, dancers, and singers, challenging their families and villagers with their unexpected performances. Shot over four years, "The Brink of Dreams" follows them from childhood to womanhood, facing the most crucial choices of their lives and topics such as early marriage, domestic violence, and girls’ education, while they have dreams that exceed the sky. The film expresses the Egyptian identity and the dreams of Egyptian youth. The village of Al-Barsha in Minya Governorate hosted the film’s crew for many years.

Renowned directors Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir are known for their previous work including the short fiction Fakh (The Trap), which premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and earned a special mention at the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), and their 2016 feature-length documentary Happily Ever After, which debuted at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), continue to push cinematic boundaries.

"The Brink of Dreams" is produced by Felucca Films, with a highly skilled crew contributing to the film's success. Mohamed Khaled served as line producer, with assistant directors Hamees El Balshy and Doha Hamdy. The film’s cinematography was led by a talented team of DOPs, including Dina El Zeneiny, Ahmed Ismael, and Ayman El Amir. Sound recording was expertly handled by Mostafa Shaaban, Sameh Nabil, Osama Goubail, and Shadwa Ali, while the film's evocative music was composed by Ahmad El Sawy. The film’s editing was a collaborative effort by Veronique Lagoarde-Segot, Ahmed Magdy Morsy, Ayman El Amir, and Nada Riyadh.