Aïsha Can’t Fly Away as seen by Morad Mostafa

What inspired you to begin work on this film?

I spent my childhood in the district of Ain Shams until I was 13 years old, this neighborhood nestled in the heart of Cairo that has gradually transformed into an enclave reminiscent of a Sudanese community, where numerous Africans reside. At first, I always wondered why there were no non-Egyptian heroes in Egyptian cinema, as African immigrants were always cast in very small, minor roles. I wanted to talk about our society through non-Egyptian characters and observe it in a different way, through their eyes, to describe the changes that occurred in Egyptian society in recent times.

Please describe your working method.

Usually, I do not use storyboards or written shot lists; I’m trying to add the camera to the script while I imagine the scene because I am not an author, but I narrate the image I want to see and the moments and feelings I want to show on the big screen, since I have always approached filmmaking with a free camera style that eschews rigid shot lists.

Please share a few words about your actors?

Collaborating with the actors was a truly remarkable experience. I have always preferred working with non-professional actors because they bring a refreshing and adaptable quality to their performances. Unlike those trained in specific acting methods or graduates of film academies, they haven’t been molded into a particular style. Like me, they feel the story we are telling and its emotions with genuine sincerity.

What did you learn during the course of making this film?

During the development phase, I learned how to fully immerse myself in the film’s world and characters, reconstructing them with depth and nuance. My four months at La Résidence du Festival de Cannes in Paris served as an intensive exploration into the depths of the screenplay.

Can you tell us about your next project?

I am preparing for a new project, a short narrative film centered around Egyptian teenagers, a road movie that aligns with the thrilling drama genre I favor. I hope we can shoot it soon.

What made you want to become a director?

My relationship with cinema began at an early age, when my brother would constantly take me to video stores, where we would rent tapes of foreign and European films. Although I didn’t study cinema academically, I chose to dive into it through real-world experience and started working as an assistant director. These years have shaped my vision as a director and connected me to cinema not just as a profession, but as a way of understanding and engaging with the world.