Papal Celebration of Creativity and Faith

Coptic Youth Forum Honors Egyptian Film "I Raised My Eyes to Heaven"

The Coptic Youth Forum, Logos Forum for Coptic Orthodox Church Youth 2024, honored the directors and heroines of the Egyptian documentary film "I Raised My Eyes to Heaven" after it won the Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary Film at the Cannes Film Festival. The ceremony took place within the activities of the forum, which was held in its fourth year under the title "Enjoying the Roots" and participated by 300 young people from all governorates of the Republic.

Award-Winning Film

"I Raised My Eyes to Heaven" was directed by Nada Riad and Ayman Al-Amir and won the Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary Film at the 77th Cannes International Film Festival. The film was a critical and commercial success, receiving a warm reception at its world premiere at the Critics’ Week competition at the Cannes Film Festival, in the presence of the directors, crew, and the film’s heroines from the Panorama Barça team. The film also received local, Arab, and international critical acclaim, with major international newspapers writing about the film, including Le Monde, Variety, and Screen Daily.

Story and Cast

The film revolves around a group of girls who decide to establish a theater troupe and perform their plays inspired by Upper Egyptian folklore in the streets of their small village to shed light on issues that concern them, such as early marriage, domestic violence, and girls’ education, while they have dreams that exceed the sky. The film expresses the Egyptian identity and the dreams of Egyptian youth, and the village of Al-Barsha in Minya Governorate hosted the film’s crew for many years. The film stars the Panorama Barsha Theatre team, Magda Masoud, Heidi Sameh, Monica Youssef, Marina Samir, Mariam Nassar, Lydia Haroun, and Justina Samir, the team’s founder.

Pope Tawadros’ Honors

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II honored the directors and heroines of the film after it won the Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary Film at the Cannes Film Festival. Media personality and Member of Parliament Dr. Dina Abdel Karim moderated the discussion with the creators of the work, and the youth of the forum discussed the directors and heroines and learned the story of their rise and success.

Previous Screenings

Directors Nada Riad and Ayman El Amir previously screened their short narrative film (Trap) at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, and their film received a special mention from the Cairo International Film Festival that same year. Their documentary film (Happy Endings) was screened in 2016 at the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival, one of the largest and most important documentary film festivals in the world.

Conclusion

The Coptic Youth Forum’s honoring of "I Raised My Eyes to Heaven" is a testament to the importance of promoting Egyptian culture and storytelling. The film’s success is a celebration of the power of cinema to bring people together and inspire positive change.

FAQs

Q: What is the film "I Raised My Eyes to Heaven" about?
A: The film revolves around a group of girls who establish a theater troupe and perform their plays inspired by Upper Egyptian folklore to shed light on issues that concern them.

Q: Who directed the film?
A: The film was directed by Nada Riad and Ayman Al-Amir.

Q: What awards has the film won?
A: The film won the Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary Film at the 77th Cannes International Film Festival.

Q: Who has honored the film?
A: His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and the Coptic Youth Forum have honored the directors and heroines of the film.