In the midst of the 2011 Egyptian protests, a sheltered young woman is forced out of her comfort zone and into the increasingly hostile streets of revolutionary Cairo.

Interview with Writer/Director Ayesha Abouelazm

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thank you so much! I wanted to simply tell a story inspired by a powerful event that occurred during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. A story inspired by a powerful woman. I am particularly moved by how this incredible woman—her body being the locus of terrific human depravity and animal violence—has become a meme that has spread though our imaginary of Arab Spring. My work is just one instantiation.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Here we are in 2018, the #metoo is in full swing, women are saying “enough is enough”. It’s amazing, it’s about time, I love it. However, in 2011, because of the girl in the blue bra, women and men all over the Middle East were already chanting “enough is enough”. You should watch this film because #themtoo! But this isn’t really about comparing one’s suffering with that of another. When I see the girl in the blue bra, I see my mother, my sister, my best friend, my neighbor, women all over the world. I see myself. It’s incredibly terrifying and immensely invigorating all at once—the necessary pain in order for the healing and the change to begin.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

My work can only ever be personal, and I can’t ever claim to provide any sort of universal analysis of inequalities or differentials in gender relations. That’s not what this is about. I simply want my work to contribute to a dialogue. What drew me to the story of this young woman to begin with is the fact that it is both personal and universal. We see this woman at her most vulnerable, laid bare, in garb so intimate. Yet her anonymity frees her from the event and dissipates her in space and time as some universal thing beyond human. When we see her, she is something so incredibly close to us, but as images of suffering from abroad tend to be, she is also so incredibly distant.

The paradox of the girl in the blue bra wrests us from the binaries of personal/universal, east/west, and us/them. Communication and how we treat images people and the people themselves then takes the center stage. There is so much agency in those that resist being named. So while this project is so incredibly personal, it’s not about me per se. By that same token, I wouldn’t describe it as universal either. The themes I grapple with here are in the messy spaces between the personal and the universal. In these spaces, I think, suffering and the rest of the human drama take place.

The Girl In The Blue Bra - Behind the scenes

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

The script and the film have evolved mostly through the character development. This piece is inspired by a horrendous moment of violence against a women during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. A 20 year old at the time, I remember the story and remember being so repulsed yet drawn to it. The crazy thing was that by chance my brother and mother happened to be visiting family in Egypt during these violent times. Hearing from them about it all was vital. Years later, I revisited the clip on Youtube and watched it over and over. Why did one of the military officers proceed to cover her bra with her clothes after they beat her? The body language was huge for me. I was very intrigued by that moment and the only way to come to terms with that event as an artist was to make a piece on it. Again, characters and body language are huge for me, and that’s how this project got started.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

Of course a film dealing with a powerful, controversial issue will have negative feedback associated with it. Some religious people have interpreted a particular scene in their own way negatively, but my goal is to simply tell a story about a woman. On the other hand, we’ve received a tremendous amount of positive support from many different people, especially women's organizations. The film is currently running through the film festival circuit where it has been accepted into over five film festivals so far and has won an award for “Best Joint North American Short” at the Asia South East Film Festival.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Yes, it has surprised me in a good way! I think both negative and positive is good feedback as long as it’s constructive. Constructive feedback is participation in a dialogue and that’s what this film is about. I’ve told my husband that I never want to direct a film where someone walks out of the theater and says that it’s just okay. That would be devastating. I’d rather them hate it and provide succinct reasoning as to why.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

First of all, I’m honored to be a part of an online platform than not only embraces women’s films, but “new voices” in any genre as well. I’m looking to gain more awareness on this subject and to spread the word. This short was filmed before the #metoo and #timesup movement. Now more than ever, this piece is very relevant because it will further acknowledge the importance of these women's movements and the actions that we need to take against sexual harassment and violence.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

I want to work with fearless producers, distributors, and journalists who gravitate towards controversial stories and who are interested in funding or collaborating on a feature film version of this short.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I would like people to walk out of this film with questions and a different perspective. If anything, I’d like the audience to walk out thinking. But if I’m really lucky, they’ll come out really provoked. It’d be really nice if this film roused real action in the viewers. I don’t mean that people should just start protesting or picketing. I think it’s more important to increase our consciousness in how we treat each other in our everyday lives. I think it would be more powerful and effect more change if people were to become active in the workplace, at school, and at home as opposed to activists in the streets.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Who’s the antagonist?

Would you like to add anything else?

I think we've just about covered everything.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Luwen (Producer), Zach (Cinematographer) and I are working together again for the third time on the feature length version of The Girl In The Blue Bra. We shoot next Fall and we’re super excited!!

Interview: February 2018

_______________________________________________________________________________

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIAQ+, scifi, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

_______________________________________________________________________________

The Girl In The Blue Bra

In the midst of the 2011 Egyptian protests, a sheltered young woman is forced out of her comfort zone and into the increasingly hostile streets of revolutionary Cairo.

Length: 12:30

Director: Ayesha Abouelazm

Producer: Luwen Shao

Writer: Ayesha Abouelazm

About the writer, director and producer:

Writer/Director: Ayesha Abouelazm currently works as a professor in Intro to Video Production at Loyola University Chicago. She is going to shoot a feature length version of her short film, The Girl In The Blue Bra, next Fall.

Producer: Luwen Shao currently resides in LA where she works on local film productions. She is producing the feature length version of The Girl In The Blue Bra. This will be her third collaboration with director Ayesha Abouelazm.

Key cast: Jehan Ibrahim, Salam Hemaea, Masa Masoud, Steven Alonte, Myriam Raymond

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Producers, distributors and Journalists

Social media handles:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Girl-In-The-Blue-Bra-1817309361920471/

Other: http://alpacaproduction.wixsite.com/main/the-girl-in-the-blue-bra

Funders: Gofundme

Made in association with: Alpaca Productions and Columbia College Chicago

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

You can watch at it at the Chicago Feminist Film Festival on March 9th! I’m so honored to have my work screened there among so many other talented females. Check it out!

Additionally, it will be screened at these festivals:

First Friday Film Festival Kansas City

The Tallahassee Film Festival

Universe Multicultural Film Festival

Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival