AUC Film Senior Wins Ladima Foundation African Women in the Time of COVID-19 Short Film Competition

"It means the world to me receiving this award since my film will be streamed on multiple platforms for people all around the world to see," said Malak El Araby, a graduating senior majoring in film who is one of 10 winners of the Ladima Foundation African Women in the Time of COVID-19 Short Film Competition. 

Being, El Araby's film, is just under two minutes long and features snippets of her life before Egypt shut down due to COVID-19. For her, the film is meant to highlight the moments people might usually take for granted and tries to find a positive side to this situation. 

"Being was made with the purpose of finding a silver lining in midst of the hardships that we had to face during a global pandemic," she said." "My main goal was to make people feel and view this pandemic differently, to make people appreciate the little things in life, to be grateful for what we have, and to never take anything for granted anymore."

El Araby's film was shown across different platforms, and she received a EUR 500 award. For her and the other nine winners of the competition, this was an opportunity to express their perspectives on the pandemic and shed light on different personal, economic and societal issues facing women.

"I realized how the little things in life are what mattered the most," El Araby said. "I missed a lot of things that a person does on a daily basis, like walking down the streets freely and breathing fresh air, or just holding a loved one. I wanted people to appreciate what they have, so when all of this is over, we’d be grateful and appreciate the little things more then ever."

You can read El Araby's full interview with ANBA here.