Sarah Guirguis The Egyptian documentary film ‘Lift Like a Girl’ by director Mayye Zayed has been selected to participate in the 42nd edition Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) competition. This will also be marking the film’s premiere in the Middle East and North Africa after being shot over the span of four years.
The story follows fourteen-year-old Zebiba, a weightlifter who is on the journey to fulfilling her dream of becoming the world champion. She trains daily, following in the footsteps of her coach’s daughter, Nahla Ramadan, who also happens to be Egypt’s top weightlifter and former world champion. All the young girls who appear in this film have won at least one national championship, including some who have won medals in regional and world championships as well as the Olympic Games.
Regarding the film’s selection, CIFF’s president, producer and screenwriter Mohamed Hefzy, commented on the significance of documentary film as a genre and the fact that it has been underrepresented in past editions. More than that, the festival artistic management believes that ‘Lift Like a Girl’ is among the most valuable Arab films of 2020. While some may view the selection as unusual, Hefzy is confident that come November, audiences will quickly get on board.
“Even though I’m so excited that the film is participating in the 45th edition of the Toronto Film Festival this September, the fact remains that it’s more important to me that the film is viewed by as many Egyptian audiences as possible, and for the audience to interact with the film via the Cairo Film Festival’s prestigious screen,” said the film’s director Mayye Zayed.
