AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY ANYMORE
by Morad Mostafa
Aisha, a 26-year-old Somali woman, lives and works in Ain-shams, a neighbourhood in Cairo with a large African migrant community. The authorities’ indifference to the violent tensions between Egyptians and various African nationalities, has allowed different gangs to seize control of the neighbourhood. The situation quickly turns sour after one of them offers Aisha security in exchange for a favour.
After I Promise You Paradise, Morad Mostafa further explores intimate and political filmmaking. Blending formal, contemplative, and rather silent style of filmmaking with the excitement of a thriller, he develops a very unique perspective on the migratory crisis as experienced in Egypt, thus upending the conventional European narrative. Drawing from documentary filmmaking and magical realism, Morad’s film is an elegy, a platform for those who have been long overlooked to have their voices and stories heard.
