File: Jeanne d’Arc Masriya poster.
Joan of Arc, the famous and iconic historical figure, was a young peasant French girl who rose in the ranks of the French army and fought against the English, managing to reach significant victories in the "Hundred Years War".
She claimed to have been receiving visions of Christian saints showing her the path to justice and victory.
She was eventually captured by the English and executed by public burning based on different criminal charges, including heresy and cross-dressing.
Joan of Arc was later pronounced a martyr and a saint.
“Jeanne d’ArcMasriya” compares elements of the historical Joan of Arc’s struggle against the state and patriarchal nature of Europe with Egyptian women’s plight as artists. Kamel was inspired by the 1929 silent film “The Passion of Joan of Arc”, directed by Theodor Dreyer.
In a 2016 interview with ScreenDaily, Kamel explained that her inspiration drew from Dreyer’s focus on specific aspects of Joan of Arc’s character through her time in prison, “where she was questioning herself and her vision, and was attacked by patriarchs.”
Through meetings with the seven artists, the film explores issues that surround post-revolution Egyptian women and their art, such as guilt and state repression. Artists featured in the film include NahlaSebaie, a jewelry maker; Salma el-Tarzi, a cartoon animator; and Dina el-Wedidi, a musician.
The film is a combination of poetry and narration, mythical and fantastical elements and stories, dance and performance, and documentary footage.
It explores the different kinds of art created by Egyptian women after the January 2011 revolution from the lens of political and social resistance, as well as hope and aspirations for the future.
Kamel has won an award and earned nominations for her previous work “BeitSha’ar” (Nomad’s House), which is also a documentary that deals with the struggles and experiences of two Bedouin women in Egypt.
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