42° TORINO FILM FESTIVAL
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES COMPETITION
THE BRINK OF DREAMS
by Nada Riyadh, Ayman El Amir
Country: Egypt
Year: 2024
Duration: 102
The Brink of Dreams tells the story of a group of young women striving to build a community while facing the dilemma of living authentically or conforming to society’s expectations. This conflict is familiar to anyone who must confront deeply rooted prejudices. The protagonists embark on a journey of self-discovery that reveals not only their personalities but also the deeply entrenched traditions of their village—charming yet stagnant—and the world that lies beyond its borders.Participated in the TorinoFilmLab
Biography
film director
Nada Riyadh
(Egypt) is an Egyptian filmmaker. Her first feature documentary, Happily Ever After, co-directed with Ayman El Amir, premiered at IDFA 2016. Her fiction short film, The Trap, was selected for the official competition at La Semaine de la Critique at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. In 2024, she co-directed the documentary The Brink of Dreams with Ayman El Amir, supported by the Torino Film Lab. She has participated in various international film programs, including Cannes’ La Fabrique, La Semaine de la Critique’s Next Step Program, Berlinale Talents, American Film Showcase, and Film Independent.
FILMOGRAFIA
Untitled (coregia Sameh Alaa, Omar el Halawani, Mohamed Hatem, Dalia Said, cm, doc, 2010), Happily Ever After (coregia Ayman El Amir, doc, 2016), Grenzenlos - Geschichten von Freiheit & Freundschaft (coregia Johanna Bentz, Camilo Colmenares, Madeleine Dallmeyer, Nazgol Emami, Diana Menestrey, Birgit Schulz, doc, 2018), The Trap (cm, doc, 2019), The Brink of Dreams (coregia Ayman El Amir, doc, 2024)
Ayman El Amir
(Egypt) is an Egyptian filmmaker. Among his most recent works are the co-direction, with Nada Riyadh, of the documentary Happily Ever After, which premiered at IDFA 2016, and the production of the fiction short The Trap, selected for La Semaine de la Critique at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. In 2024, he co-directed the documentary The Brink of Dreams with Nada Riyadh, supported by the TorinoFilmLab. He has worked as a script consultant for various labs and institutions, including TorinoFilmLab, Doha Film Institute, Marrakesh Atlas Workshops, DW Academy, and Full Circle Lab.
FILMOGRAFIA
El Hokm (cm, doc, 2009), Happily Ever After (coregia Nada Riyadh, doc, 2016), The Brink of Dreams (coregia Nada Riyadh, doc, 2024).
Declaration
film director
“In this coming-of-age story, we focus on young women who demonstrate strength, resilience, intelligence, courage, and mutual love. In our modern culture, which often glorifies the naivety of adolescence and views life as a passage from innocence to disillusionment, their story challenges these clichés. Delving into their lives reveals the complexity of becoming women in contemporary societies.”
Cast
& Credits
DIRECTOR, SCREENPLAY, PRODUCERS: Ayman El Amir, Nada Riyadh. CINEMATOGRAPHY: Dina El Zeneiny, Ahmed Ismail, Ayman El Amir. EDITING: Véronique Lagoarde-Ségot, Ahmed Magdy, Ayman El Amir, Nada Riyadh. MUSIC: Ahmad El Sawy. SOUND: Moustafa Shaaban, Sameh Nabil, Osama Goubail, Shadwa Ali. PRODUCTION: Dolce Vita Films, Magma Film & TV, Felucca Films.
CONTACT: KitchenFilm (Emanuela Piovano) emanuela.piovano@kitchenfilm.com
