As a movie enthusiast who has seen a plethora of films that delve into familial relationships and personal growth, I can confidently say that “Your Daughter” by Sara Shazli is a must-watch. The film’s unique blend of autobiography, documentary, and fiction makes it an intriguing exploration of the complex bond between a daughter and her mother.
The Egyptian filmmaker, Sara Shazli, is set to showcase her newest documentary, titled “Your Daughter,” at the Final Cut workshop for African and Arab films in post-production, which takes place during the Venice Production Bridge.
In her second movie, the director delves into a deeply personal tale that chronicles her journey out of the influential shadow cast by her mother, renowned producer and filmmaker Marianne Khoury, all while navigating her own new role as a mother for the first time.
The narrative then shifts to focus on a 32-year-old filmmaker, who, consumed by the desire to break free from the ties that bind her to her relentless mother, leaves her childhood home in downtown Cairo and settles into a smaller residence in the suburbs.
As she supervised its building, memories of her childhood flooded back, particularly of the Ethiopian nanny who cared for her. This sparked a deeply emotional journey, as she grappled with the lasting hurt caused by her mother’s absence during her formative years.
As a movie enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share my journey with you through my directorial debut, “Back Home,” which first graced the screens at the El Gouna Film Festival in 2021. This heartfelt story revolves around my complex relationship with my larger-than-life father, a man I hadn’t seen eye to eye with for years.
During my trips from Havana, it was only then that I felt prepared to delve into the challenging inquiries concerning my mother’s past, a time when Khoury seemed more like a ghostly figure within our home. “I trained the camera on her, and we were merely passing time in the kitchen. That’s when I began to probe: ‘What transpired? Was your absence indeed real? Because I can’t recall you being present,'” I confided to EbMaster.
The director characterized Khoury, who is both the niece and longstanding partner of the late Egyptian cinematic icon Youssef Chahine, and currently heads Misr International Films, as a highly dedicated individual. This dedication to her work often overshadows her role as a mother, with her focus more on the practical aspects of the film industry rather than child-rearing duties.
In essence, the task that was once predominantly handled by the family’s Ethiopian caretaker, Woody, was seen as a replacement for the narrator’s own mother by the director. At first, the movie “Your Daughter” was intended to be a quest for this nanny who moved to Canada in 2004. However, during the development process, Shazli came to understand that the central drama and conflict revolved around the relationship with the narrator’s mother instead.
Raised amidst the glamour of cinema in Cairo, the director found herself cultivating a complex mix of affection and antipathy towards the movie world. The absence of her mother was partly due to the location shoots, film festivals, and high-profile premieres that were an integral part of a successful producer’s professional life. However, there was also an emotional void, stemming from Khoury’s compulsion to document everything, as she put it, “that urge she had to film everything, to always have the camera ready.”
It was a recurring tendency she noticed in other family members too; an approach to life that resembled quickly changing scenes on a screen, often sidestepping the challenging emotional tasks that followed after the lights went out and the cameras stopped recording. As Shazli explained, their priority was to record everything, to document every moment. Leaving the camera aside, she pointed out, was when they truly paid attention, when they truly showed affection.
The film titled “Your Daughter,” being finalized by Khoury, relies on an extensive collection of family photographs and home videos accumulated over the years by Shazli’s family. In collaboration with editor Nadia Ben Rachid, who has often worked with Malian-Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako (“Timbuktu”), this production integrates archival material with contemporary shots, along with imaginative reconstructions of scenes from her youth.
In the process of creating “Your Daughter,” Shazli found it a significant experience to delve into her family’s archives, yet as a new mother herself, she is resolute about charting her own path, both personally and professionally. Contrary to what one might expect, she expressed that she doesn’t feel compelled to document every moment of her daughter’s life. Instead, she yearns to put down the camera and focus on truly experiencing motherhood.
The director noted that, with motherhood, she’s now managed to emerge from beneath the influence of Khoury, defining herself as an individual rather than just a member of her renowned family.
As a movie critic, I’d rephrase it this way: “Giving birth and embracing motherhood feels like cutting the last tie with my former self as a daughter. It signifies a fresh start, a readiness to embody this new identity. This transformation serves as a powerful means of leaving behind my past.”
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2024-08-12 15:17