"Coming Forth By Day" by Hala Lotfy

Hala Lotfy's impressive 2012 film debut, Coming Forth By Day (Al khoroug lel-nahar), is set in Cairo and tells the story of a young woman named Soad, who lives on the outskirts of the capital with her mother and bedridden father. She has resigned herself to the duty of caring for her father and foregoing her own life. But she maintains a palpable desire for what lies outside. When she leaves her apartment in the evening and cruises alone through downtown Cairo, it becomes clear how far she has distanced herself from her own needs. Hala Lofty made her film during the turmoil of the Egyptian Revolution. She focuses on private life and manages to create a revolutionary film – without showing the Revolution. Coming Forth By Day is the first film to emerge from a rebuilding Egyptian film culture.