Nineteen-year-old Souad lives with her parents and younger sister in the north of Egypt. Although physically she may be grown-up, she struggles with her role in society, torn between her Muslim faith and the contemporary reality of social media, which opens unprecedented (and dangerous) opportunities – especially in terms of dating older men. Shown from the perspective of three characters, the story offers a subtle and sympathetic glimpse of life today in the Arab world.

Ayten Amin

A native of Alexandria, Amin made her debut at international festivals with several short films. Her first feature-length films, the documentary Tahrir 2011 (2011) and narrative film Villa 69 (2013), were shown successfully at festivals in Europe and Asia. Her latest film Souad was selected for the cancelled 2020 edition of Cannes, and won Best Actress Award at the Tribeca Film Festival.