As part of our follow up to the triumphant return of Doclisboa after a year of provisional, year-round screenings in the wake of the pandemic, we are happy to shine the spotlight on Egyptian cinematic pioneer Ateyyat El Abnoudy, one of the foremost female filmmakers in the Arab world.
Ateyyat El Abnoudy (1939 – 2018) was an Egyptian journalist, lawyer, actress, producer, and movie director. Born in a small village along the Nile Delta, El-Abnoudy was considered one of the pioneering Arab female filmmakers, with her films standing as the source of inspiration for so many Arab women fighting to produce their own independent cinema. She has been referred to as the "poor person's filmmaker" thanks to her intense focus on the struggles of ordinary Egyptians and the impoverished across the Arab world. Over the course of her career, El Abnoudy received more than 30 international awards for her 22 films, including three for Horse of Mud, released in 1971.
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