Noum El Deek
Created by Seif Abdallah
The Director
Egyptian American filmmaker, studied film at the Los Angeles Film school. Born in the coastal town of Alexandria, after he finished his studies he started making experimental short films that got him recognition in the festival circuit and few awards.
Upon his return to his home country, he was able to develop a more nuanced aesthetic in his films using only his phone camera.
He traveled around Egypt filming and editing short films on his own, notably he made a film called "Norhan", a meditative journey into a decaying consciousness, which got accepted in the short film corner in Cannes 2016.
Followed up by the 30 minute surreal short “Fever Dream”; a dreamscape into Egypt at her most contemporary and timeless.
The film moves with the labouring frustration of a slow birth through dialectics of metropolis and desert, decay and purity, urban sophistication and Bedouin simplicity.
He made several short documentaries that explore hidden communities and Sufi celebrations across Egypt, while possessing a sense of urgency and an elegic voice towards marginalized communities who are neglected by society.
Presently he is completing his first feature Documentary “Noom El Deek” which shines a light on the marginalized Sudanese refugees living in Egypt while exploring the diverse Sudanese culture.
About the project
Logline: Through multiple diverse and complex characters from the Sudan, an intricate mosaic of their lives unfolds, painting a vivid reality of what it is like to be a refugee in Egypt.
Director's Statement: The question of belonging I find that drives the film, an overarching theme which envelops the sky above the characters and myself.
Belonging and cultural identity were themes I struggled with in my personal life. I sought to find an answer and through my search I found home with people who are seeking an answer to the same question, we found refuge together.
My search made me stumble upon the Sudanese community residing in Cairo. With them I discovered a hidden world I had no idea of, they opened the doors for me into their world, and once I walked in, I stayed, I found home with them.
I learned that a person can choose where to belong, can choose a culture to belong to, and to me the Sudanese community is a home I never thought I could have. The more I spent time with them in their homes, in their warm and nostalgic night gatherings listening to their fascination of ancient and present history, their elegant and beautiful poetry recital to their captivating and sensational music, the more I felt responsible in telling their story and reflecting their present reality as refugees in Egypt.