Synopsis
Dunia is a meditation on female desire, a notoriously taboo subject in the Arab world, especially in the Egyptian society where the film takes place. Driven by the powerful eroticism of Arab poetry and music, the film talks about love and desire through the experience of a young woman traditionally and strictly educated. The film portrays the trauma provoked by female genital mutilation (which, according to UNICEF, Amnesty International and PNUD reports, still affected 97% of women in Egypt in 2003).
Dunia, the character
Dunia is the world, the universe. An interrogation of life. It's the story of a young girl who goes against the grain, typically oriental and even Cairene, but who holds human values. I wanted to talk through the body, sensuality, and liberty. From there, may each take what he wants. I also wanted to invent a pretty love story, a complicated one… But love stories are never easy. I constructed it all on the oriental model of A Thousand and One Nights, mostly to situate me in time. However, it's a modern tale, and I hope the young will be able to see themselves in it.
