Egyptian director Inas Al Dagheedi is considered one of the most provocative directors of currant times. Her movies have constantly been the cause for various heated arguments, especially when it comes to the portrayal of women’s sexuality.
Al Dagheedi is mostly recognized for her courage in handling women’s issues. She has also achieved fame by fighting various battles with the censorchip boards, who continuously clash with her.
The ‘Albayan’ newspaper caught up with the director and asked her about her innovative ideas and her constant referral to sexualtiy in her movies.
“I have become a constant feature in newspapers and magazines because of the misconception of my work, especially when it comes to sexuality,” she said.
“This misunderstanding has evolved from the courage of my ideas.”
Some of her most controversial movies inlcude Lahm Irkhees (Cheap Meat), which talks of the ‘international prostitution’ arena and various more.
I deal with social issues. But a lack of some sort has transformed these real issues that I try to cover, into one major issue; sex.”
Meanwhile, the director also spoke about her newest unreleased movie, Al Warda Al Hamra’a (The Red Rose).
“The movie is more of a light hearted social movie. Its main theme revolves around love and money,” she explained.
“The story talks about a girl who dreams of being a famous songstress and so decides to sacrifice the man she loves to marry an older man who can help her career. She then finds herself torn between the two men. In the end, however, good prevails when she discovers that love is stronger than money.”
Dagheedi also spoke about actor Ahmad Ramzi’s participatino in the film saying that “I did not put a lot of pressure on Ramzi to join in, as some might presume. Although he has constatnly maintained his refusal to return to film the actor immediately took the role after reading the script.”
The director then went on to praise the veteran actor saying that he was “responsible, punctual and very easy to work with.”
“In this role, the actor that we have always known as the young naughty boy, will play the part of the old naughty man,” she quipped.
Finally, the director commented on her involvement in women’s issues.
“The fact that I am a woman and understand woman’s issues is one of the reasons I am successful in that aspect… However, there are other reasons for the respect I have received from my work,” she added.
“Egyptian movies have always dealt with woman as an extension of man, inable to function as a sole entity. Her job is to serve her man and make sure all his needs are met,” she said adding that “very few have portrayed woman as an independent human being.”
“What I am trying to do,” explained Dagheedi, “is to give woman a lead role in a movie in order to portray her as she really is”-Albawaba.com.
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