LOG LINE:
Queen Nefertiti returns to join revolutionary street artists on the front lines in the fight for women’s rights and freedom in Egypt today.
SYNOPSIS:
Nefertiti’s Daughters is a story of women, art and revolution.
Told by prominent Egyptian artists, this documentary witnesses the critical role revolutionary street art played during the Egyptian uprisings.
Focused on the role of women artists in the struggle for social and political change, Nefertiti's Daughters spotlights how the iconic graffiti of Queen Nefertiti places her on the front lines in the ongoing fight for women’s rights and freedoms in Egypt today.
TECHNICAL SPECS:
Total Running Time: 39 mins, 56 secs
Main Genre: Documentary
Sub Genres: Short, Art, Women, Social, Political, Human Rights, and Current Events
Date of Completion: October 2014
Countries of Production: USA, Egypt
Exhibition Format: DCP, HDCAM, Blu-Ray, DVD, ProRes 422
Sound: Dolby 5.1 stereo mix
Aspect Ratio: 1.78: 1
Shooting Format: HD (NTSC)
On-Screen Format: Color, English and Arabic, English subtitles
For access to the full online screener, contact Mark Nickolas at mark@mosaicfilmsnyc.com.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT:
The idea for Nefertiti’s Daughters grew out of watching the 2011 uprisings in the Arab world and how politically-charged graffiti and street art played such a prominent role as an act of social resistance. As someone who came to filmmaking after years in American politics, I was fascinated by the revolutionary aspect of this form of expression and how, through the simple act of writing on walls, these artists communicated their society’s hopes, dreams and demands.
After watching a 2012 TED talk by Egyptian artist Bahia Shehab (above), I began to understand not only the violence that women in Egypt face on a daily basis, but how courageous women like Shehab tackled these previously taboo social issues through street art. The world took notice. The film primarily focuses on three prominent women artists — Bahia Shehab, Mira Shihadeh, and Salma Samy — whose ages span three decades, and whose work illuminates their perspective of the world, while giving us a window into how each sees the struggles of their country and, often, their gender.
We witness how street art has played a vital role throughout history during times of political transformation and social instability, and how ancient Egyptian history is incorporated directly into the work, re-appropriating styles from Pharaonic times including the great Queen Nefertiti, whose image becomes a rallying cry for women in the yet-to-be-completed Egyptian revolution. The street art memorializes acts of government brutality, serves as a call-to-arms for women, turns the tables on the male predators, and even makes us all imagine a world where a woman would be permitted to sing the sacred Adhan (the Muslim call for prayer).
--Mark Nickolas
Director, Producer, and Editor: MARK NICKOLAS
Producers: RAMY FRANCIS, JEAN FERRERI
Co-Director and Field Producer: RACHA NAJDI
Executive Producer: KEN MONTGOMERY
Co-Producers: JONATHAN MILLER, MONICA MARTARANO, RANDY RATLIFF
Cinematographers: OSCAR FRASSER, MARK NICKOLAS
Composer: DAVID MURILLO R.
Sound Design and Post-Production Audio: AUSTIN DEVRIES
Story Consultant: DEIRDRE BOYLE
FEATURING:
Bahia Shehab
Mira Shihadeh
Shahira Amin
Salma Samy
Christiane Gruber
Ammar Abo Bakr
Nazeer