“Isis” International Women’s Theater Festival celebrates the career of Sanaa Jamil

During the opening ceremony of its fourth session, the “Isis” International Women’s Theater Festival recalled the career of “Cactus Flower” by the late artist Sanaa Jamil, whose name the session bears, in a celebration that did not stop at honoring one of the most prominent actresses in the history of Egyptian art, but rather evoked an artistic experience that was formed through theatre, cinema, and television, and was linked to the ability of its owner to give the characters a presence that goes beyond the boundaries of the role into the audience’s memory.

The opening ceremony, which was held on Friday evening at the Samer Theater in Agouza, witnessed the presence of a number of artists, including Fathi Abdel Wahab and Ahmed Eid. The biography of Sanaa Jamil was recalled through a film that dealt with her career and the impact she left on the conscience of Egyptian art.

The festival's management chose to begin its fourth session with the biography of Sanaa Jamil, based on the experience of an artist who did not come to Cairo on a paved path to stardom, but rather gradually made her position within the artistic scene. This is what the festival’s president, artist Abeer Lotfy, referred to in her speech, recalling the late woman’s struggle in coming from Upper Egypt to study acting and become a professional.

Abeer Lutfi confirmed that choosing the name Sanaa Jamil for the session comes in appreciation of an artist who was able to carve out a special place for herself in the history of Egyptian art, referring to her journey from Mallawi in Upper Egypt to Cairo, and the stages she went through that led her to become one of the most prominent actresses in Egypt, while she confirmed the festival management’s aspiration for the session to be a space in which the public participates and interacts with its performances and events.

The opening ceremony witnessed the honoring of poet Kawthar Mustafa, artist Nevin Allouba, and critic Dr. Samia Habib, in appreciation of their careers and contributions to art, culture and creativity, alongside the Egyptian artist Samah Anwar.

The fourth session of the festival continues until October 2, and includes 13 theatrical performances from Egypt, Arab and foreign countries, in addition to workshops and intellectual events, through a program that includes a round table on women’s issues in African theatre, and a session on the opportunities available to artists.