‘This is My Night’: Egyptian Film Raises Awareness About Down Syndrome and Empathy

Egyptian streets ○ 22 January 2021

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In the final scene of the film ‘This is My Night’, Azza, a mother, played by Nahed Elsebaeiy, sits alone with her son with down syndrome, Amr, in an empty street, watching a circus musical pass them, laughing and sharing jokes together.

In just one scene, the Egyptian director, Yusuf Noaman, captures the raw and simple moments of joy in life despite the struggles and heart wrenching storyline of the film. At the end, we see the film’s story divide into a string of powerful moments, each one lived separately and holds its own power and value. It’s not about a grand storyline or a milestone achievement or event, but simply about powerful moments.

The 2019 film priemered at Al-Gouna Film Festival in 2019, and has also been screened in many festivals worldwide, including Festival du Court Métrage de Clermont-Ferrand and the Karama Film Festival for Human Rights in Jordan, as well as the Gold Award for Best Short Film at International Oriental Film Festival of Geneva, and competed in 15 international festivals in different countries globally.

Fascinated by the human experience, Noaman has always been keen on translating the true and most honest human experiences in all of his films. Looking through their contradictions and all the different sides to their personality, Noaman seeks to dig deeper to try to understand the essence of being human.