Neo Nahda [2024]
Mona, a young woman in London, finds archived photographs of Arab women cross-dressing in the 1920s. Somewhere between her fantasies and reality, she starts a feverish journey of uncovering lost histories and her own identity.
Through a coming-of-age narrative, the film explores the euphoric relationship those who are marginalised create with images and symbols, and how archive images can be a portal for the world of inner projections, creating meaning and grounding one's identity.
BFI Network and British Council present
An Other People's Films Production
Starring Eman Alali as Mona
Writer and Director - May Ziadé
Producer - Antonia Luxem
Production Designer - Joelle Aoun
Director of Photography - Luciana Riso
Editor - Chiara Bellesia
Costume Designer – Imi Oztas
Hair and Makeup Artist – Ezana Ové
Composer - Layale Chaker
Sound Designer - Zhe Wu
Colorist - Mariam Latif
Titles Designer - Mina Maurice
Executive Producer – Arij al-Soltan
Further support from: Anna Walach, Institute for Global Prosperity, Arab Image Foundation, AFS Studios Hackney.
Poster design by Lucile Gauvain
Titles by Mina Maurice
Photography by Marika Kochiashvili
Selected festival laurels:
Neo Nahda is now represented by TAPE Collective. More information on how to book their film on their website.
All Screenings:
* Screening. March 2023. BFI Flare LGBTQIA+ Festival, London. Official Selection.
* Screening. March 2023. AWAN Festival, London. Official Selection.
* Screening. June 2023. Reference.Point, London. Pride Month Curated Screening.
* Screening. July 2023. Safar Film Festival, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London.
* Screening. July 2023. Safar Film Festival, HOME, Manchester.
* Screening. August 2023. Soura Film Festival. Berlin, Germany.
* Screening. September 2023. Les Mains Gauches. Videodrome2. Marseille, France.
* Screening. September 2023. Short Film Focus. Close-Up Cinema. London, UK.
* Screening. September 2023. Encouters Film Festival. WATERSHED. Britol, UK.
* Screening. September 2023. Wimbledon International Short Film Festival. London, uk.
* Screening. September 2023. MIX Milan. Milan, Italy.
* Screening. October 2023. MIX CPH. Copenhagen, Denmark.
* Screening. October 2023. HIQFF. Hamburg, Germany.
* Screening. October 2023. MIZNA Arab Film Festival. Minneapolis, USA.
* Screening. November 2023. MENA Film Festival, Vancouver, Canada.
* Screening. November 2023. Meziprata. Prague, Czech Republic.
* Screening. November 2023. Meziprata. Brno, Czech Republic.
* Screening. November 2023. Bizarre @ La Folie. Paris, France.
* Screening. November 2023. SET Film Festival. London, UK.
* Screening. December 2023. Queer Cinema for Palestine @ Rio Cinema. London, UK.
* Screening. December 2023. J’en Suis J’en Reste @ L’Hybride. Lille, France.
* Screening. January 2024. London Short Film Festival. London, UK.
* Screening. January 2024. MENA Film Festival. Vancouver, Canada.
* Screening. March 2024. Ratita Films. Barcelona, Spain.
* Screening. March 2024. Glasgow Short Film Festival. Glasgow, UK.
* Screening. April 2024. Badgam Film Festival. Toulouse, France.
* Screening. April 2024. Alfilm. Berlin, Germany.
* Screening. April 2024. Women+ Film Festival. Denver, Colorado, USA.
* Screening. May 2024. IMMAGINARIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. Rome, Italy.
* Screening. May 2024. London Lesbian Film Festival. Ontario, Canada.