Young Hearts

A poetic reflection on the director’s young nephew’s questions and thoughts about the Gaza war and the fate of children his age in it, it is intertwined with ideas and glimpses of daily moments that children now experience in Egypt, about what they see and hear of the pleas for help and the painful words of the children of Gaza. And voices began to accompany them as they accompanied everyone, on a journey into their inner selves. We discover that this time we won a new generation for the Palestinian cause.

Directed by Marwa El Sharkawy

Director’s Bio: Marwa Elsharkawy is a passionate storyteller drawn to the personal and human shadows of tales. She studied media at Cairo University, She has participated in writing, filming and directing workshops at the American University and the EU-supported Cine Delta school, as well as the Creative Documentary Film workshop at the Cairo International Women’s Film Festival, and afterwards started work on her films when she began with “Forgotten Dreams, “which won Best Documentary awards at Iran’s “2021 International Moving Film Festival” and a grant from Cairo’s International Women’s Film Festival. This film screened at several international festivals including the 43rd Durban International Film Festival. UNFPA produced her first short fiction film “My Dear Rose” about female circumcision. She has also directed several documentaries for channels like BBC and Al Jazeera Documentary. She has been a jury member for several festivals, including the international Moving Film Festival in Iran, and pitching competition jury at Cameroon Film Lab, and Chair of the documentary film jury at the Muscat Women’s Film Festival 2023

Precedes

Aida Returns

Directed by Carol Mansour

A story of a multi-layered journey: A journey of personal loss, of return to memories of youth, and of return to Palestine for final rest.