All Projects

Cactus Flower

Fall Grant 2015 - Production Stage

Synopsis

Aida, a struggling actress, came to Cairo from the Delta as a university student; like many others, she stayed on in the city. One night, she and her neighbour Samiha, a fading bourgeois beauty, are kicked out on the street. With no money and nowhere to go, the two women, aided by Yassin, a street-savvy youth, embark on a labyrinthine journey across physically and mentally difficult terrain. Amid the funny and at times disastrous turns their journey takes, they move along parallel journeys of self-discovery. An extraordinary friendship grows among the unlikely trio, like a delicate flower blooming from a thorny cactus.

Credits

Director

Hala Elkoussy

Screenwriter

Hala Elkoussy

Producer

Houssam Elouan

Production Company

Transit Films

Production Company

Transit Films

About the Director

Hala Elkoussy is a visual artist who works across a variety of media, including photography, video, installation, and sculpture. Elkoussy has produced several short films that were screened in exhibitions and film festivals around the world. Her artwork features in the collections of Tate Modern and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, among others. 'Cactus Flower', her first feature film, premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. It received the Best Actress Award at the Dubai International Film Festival and Special Jury Award at Aswan International Women’s Film Festival. In 2020 she won De Verbeelding Grant in the Netherlands to realize 'East of Noon'.

Awards and Festival History

Festivals

Rotterdam International Film Festival 2017, Bright Future Award Competition (WP)
MOOOV Film Festival 2017, Discovery

Contacts

• Director

  Hala Elkoussy

  Phone: 

  +201279520780

  Email: 

  elkoussyhala@hotmail.com

• Main Contact

  Hossam Elouan

  Company: 

  Transit Films International

  Phone: 

  +201060528732

  Email: 

  hossamelouan@gmail.com

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