Factory Girl

Sunday 11/09 at St. Anthony Main Theatre 5:30pm | get tickets >>>
PANEL DISCUSSION with Sonali Pahwa and Mohannad Ghawanmeh

Synopsis:
Infusing a work of uniquely Egyptian melodrama with female empowerment, Factory Girl
stridently denounces society’s subjugation of its girls and women through its hypocritical dictums on virginity. As the film’s protagonist, performed splendidly by Yasmin Raeis, is sabotaged by the agents of patriarchal systems, she fiercely refuses to give in or to repent. Factory Girl demonstrates that small victories can begin to overcome oppressive forces within society’s structures.

2013
90 minutes
Narrative feature
Directed by: Mohamed Khan
Language: Arabic
Country: Egypt/UAE
Website | Trailer

“The slickly made Factory Girl (Fatat El Masnaa) may well have the melodramatic trappings of a soap opera tale, but underneath its story of love, longing, false accusations and recriminations there is nicely powerful story of a young woman aiming for an independence society is not keen to allow her, with the impressively feisty Yasmine Raees terrific in the lead role.” (link)

Festivals and Awards:
-Dubai International Film Festival: FIPRESCI Prize for best Arab feature
-Dubai International Film Festival: Muhr Arab Award for best actress (Yasmine Raeis)
-Shanghai International Film Festival: in competition
-Montreal World Film Festival

Filmmaker bio (from film’s website):
Mohamed Khan has made many acclaimed films since the late ‘70s, beginning with Darbet Shams (1978) with Nour El Sherif, which was a critical and a commercial hit. His other films include Fares Al-Madina (1991), Ayam El-Sadat (2001), and Fi Shaket Masr El Gedeeda (2007). Three of his films were part of the Dubai International Film Festival’s 100 Greatest Arab Films: El Harrif (1983), Zawgat Ragol Mohim (1988), and Ahlam Hind we Kamilia (1988).