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My Sister and I

Qumra Series

Zaid Abu Hamdan, Lucy DerTavitian / TV Series / Saudi Arabia, Qatar
In Arabic
Interests: Drama, Romance, History, Biography
Rated: This film has not been rated.

Synopsis

Set around two sisters in Riyadh, the series explores their contrasting lives. Mariam, the eldest, is a natural genius, excelling in everything from science to arts, and strikingly beautiful. However, her beauty is seen as a commodity due to their impoverished background. Her mother, fearing education would hinder her marriage prospects, withdraws her from school, leaving art as Mariam’s solace. Despite being kind and considerate, Mariam shocks everyone by breaking societal norms and leaving the country, bringing shame to her family. Though influenced by Mariam, the narrative centres on Sarah, her younger sister.
Lacking Mariam’s innate talents, Sarah compensates with sheer determination. She struggles for everything, including academic success and their mother’s affection—achievements Mariam takes for granted. Their mother, Mrs. Salama, idolises Mariam while demeaning Sarah, reflecting her own biases. The sisters navigate life’s hardships together: their mother’s cruelty, their father’s frailty, love’s disappointments, and their country’s changes. However, as adults, their bond fractures under these pressures. Facing patriarchy and poverty, they choose divergent paths—Mariam through marriage and Sarah through education—each seeking freedom but constrained by the weight of expectations. The story delves into their efforts to reclaim autonomy in a tale of resilience and sisterhood.

About the Director

Zaid Abu Hamdan holds an MFA from the New York Film Academy in Hollywood and a BA in Communication Arts from the Lebanese American University. Since 2009, Zaid has written, directed, and produced six award-winning, internationally distributed short films. His film ‘Bahiya & Mahmoud’ was the first Arab short film to qualify for an Oscar nomination in 2012 by winning the Best Of Fest award at the Palm Springs International ShortFest, and he has since developed the short into a comedy TV series. In television, Zaid has directed, produced, and developed a wide range of content for major broadcasters in Los Angeles and the Gulf, including children’s ‘Sesame Street’, pop culture news channel E! Entertainment, and sports competition shows, in addition to venturing into TV commercials in 2017. Since moving to the UAE in 2016, he has been the lead mentor of filmmaking in the region with Image Nation’s Arab Film Studio Narrative and Screenwriting Programs. Zaid is touring with his first feature film, ‘Daughters of Abdul-Rahman’, which debuted with an Audience Award win at the Cairo International Film Festival. He is currently working on his second feature film script, ‘Boomah’.

Lucy DerTavitian is a writer and development executive who has created both Arabic and English language series, including a spy thriller on the Cold War in the Middle East, a drama about Queen Effat and the advancement of female education in Saudi Arabia, a modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s comedic classic, ‘Emma’, set in the Red Sea; and a political satire in Lebanon. She also worked for the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture-Ithra in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where she wrote the country’s first national play on the Golden Age of Islam, notably, an all-male cast written solely by a female writer. Before her work in scripted content, Lucy hosted a radio show in Los Angeles on Middle Eastern and Central Asian politics and served as the CNN on-air commentator for the region. Her extensive knowledge of Middle Eastern history, politics, society, and culture enables her to seamlessly integrate complex and sensitive issues into scripted series. Lucy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Middle Eastern Politics and History from UCLA, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude, and a Master of Arts degree from Columbia School of Journalism, with a focus on social movements.

Credits

Director

Zaid Abu Hamdan, Lucy DerTavitian

Screenwriter

Lucy DerTavitian

Producer

Lucy DerTavitian

Cast

Ahd Kamel; Fatima Al Banawi; Mila Al Zahrani; Yagoub Al Farhan; Naif Al Daferi; Aiysha Hart.

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