I Found My Love in Massara

In search of a forgotten cinema, Stephanie, caught between two worlds, rediscovers her roots, her reel, and her way back home.

Director:
Stephanie Amin

Genre:
Documentary

Year:
2023

Duration:
15 minutes

Rating:
PG

Country:
Egypt

Language:
Arabic

Subtitling:
English, French

Screenplay: Stephanie Amin

Cinematography: Stephanie Amin, Jocelyne Abu Gibrayel, Israa El Gawady

Editing: Simon El Habre

Production: Klaketa Arabe

Awards: Jury Award at Festival du Film Franco-arabe de Noisy-le-Sec, France 2024 | Outstanding Documentary Directing at Manassat Film Festival, Cairo, Egypt, 2023 | Special Mention, Documentary Competition, Cairo International Short Film Festival, 2023

Début Status: Jordanian Première

Synopsis

On Christmas Day 2021, 25-year-old Stephanie Amin makes a bold decision, to leave her life abroad and return to Cairo to direct her first short film. Caught between two countries and two careers, she sets out in search of the remnants of Cinema Massara. Through family archives, fading memories, and youthful longing, Stephanie's journey becomes more than cinematic. It becomes a rediscovery of her roots, her reel, and her reason to return home.

Director’s biography

Independent researcher and filmmaker Stephanie Amin earned an MA in political sociology from the Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University in 2020. Her interests include the Coptic culture, cinema, and gender issues. "I Found My Love in Massara" is her directorial debut.