Kamla Abou Zekry (born January 8, 1974) is an Egyptian television and film director who directed well-known movies and TV series such as Bent Esmaha Zaat, Segn El Nisaa, and Wahed Sefr. She has taken part in many international and national film festivals, including the Cairo International Film Festival, the Dubai International Film Festival, and the Venice Film Festival. Her films have also been screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
Life Abou Zekry was born in Cairo, Egypt. She graduated from the Higher Institute of Cinema, and started her film career by collaborating with Nadel Galal on 131 Ashghal in 1993.Four Arab female filmmakers making Arab cinema international, Egypt Today, 17 May 2018. Accessed 25 November 2019.
Zekry has collaborated with screenwriter Mariam Naoom on several TV series. A Girl Named Zat (2013) was an adaptation of Sonallah Ibrahim's 1992 novel Zaat. Women's Prison (2014), based on a play by Fathia al-Assal, was shot in Qanater Prison.Rowan El Shimi, Segn Al-Nesa: Ramadan TV hit offers glimpse of life in women's prison, Ahram Online, 21 July 2014.
Abou Zekry was quick to respond to the January 25 Revolution. 18 Days was a collaboration with Mariam Abou Auf, daughter of Egyptian actor and composer Ezzat Abou Aouf, while God's Creation followed the story of a girl selling tea on the street who joins the revolution.
A Day for Women was the opening film at Cairo Film Festival in winter 2016.A-Z of progress and setbacks for Egyptian women between two international women’s days, Mada Masr, 8 March 2017.
Works Films (with Nader Galal) 131 Ashghal / 131 Works, 1993 Qittar Al Sa’aa Al Sadisah / The Six O’ Clock Train, 1999. Short film. (with Nader Galal) Hello America, 2000 Sanna Oula Nasb / First Year Con, 2004. Feature film. Malek wa ketaba, 2005. Feature film. An el ashq wel hawa, 2006 (with Mariam Abou Auf) Tamantashar Yom / 18 Days, 2011 Khelket Rabena / God's Creation, 2011 A Day for Women, 2016
TV Series 6 Midan El-Tahrir, 2009 Wahed-Sefr / One-Zero, 2009 A Girl Named Zat, 2013 Segn El Nesa / Women's Jail, 2014 Wahet El Ghoroub / Sunset Oasis, 2017 100 Wesh / 100 Face, 2020 Bitulou' Al-Rouh/As the Spirit breaks out (in critique of ISIS), 2022
References
External links
Kamlah Abou Zekry on elcinema.com Kamla Abou Zekry on Festival Scope Pro Abu Zekri Kamla on africine.org (in French)