Feature Documentary Film
TOTAL BUDGET
US $150,000
CONFIRMED FINANCING
US $10,000
CONTACT
mohamed.taher.mohamed@gmail.com
+201003631188
Five Egyptian former prima ballerinas reunite after 50 years, in an attempt to recreate together their first public dance, The Fountain of Bakhchisarai.
In 1960s Egypt, when ballet was an elite foreign art, five ballerinas went on stage for the first time in public to perform the ballet performance “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” at the old Khedivial Opera House. Diana Hakak, Aleya Abdel Razek, Maya Selim, Wedad Faizy and Magda Saleh were the first Egyptian ballerinas to perform in Egypt, after studying at the mighty Bolshoi in Moscow.
As one of the most important events in the Egyptian art and culture scene, Magda Saleh, the first Egyptian prima ballerina, recognizes that her feelings of this night is only left in her memory and some photographs in her photo albums, as the main videotape was damaged along with other materials in the custody of the Egyptian TV. Therefore, she decides to reunite with her former colleagues, after 50 years, in an attempt to recreate their first performance together in hologram technology, in search of a lost history and vanished cultural heritage.
The documentary film traces the dancers’ journey of making their dream performance come to life again in hologram, stemming from the idea of bringing the past to life, till the final exhibition for the audience. Through this journey, they share stories, recall captivating memories and anecdotes that are filled with passion, humor, emotions and nostalgia, in a unique and personal manner.
For decades, the primas of the National Cairo Ballet Company have been from East Europe, even though Egypt has a history of great Egyptian ballerinas who were, at one point, dancing visitors to the world’s most notable ballet companies. I always wonder; why don’t we have Egyptian prima ballerinas in Cairo Ballet Company today?
After completing my graduate studies abroad, I started Ballerinas of Cairo, an initiative to revive the ballet scene in Egypt by capturing dancing ballerinas, while using the scenery of Cairo streets. The project has stormed the Internet with millions of views and it was featured internationally. However, I used to receive the same questions repeatedly: are these ballerinas from Egypt, and does Egypt still have ballet?
Last spring, in New York, I approached Mrs. Magda Saleh, the first Egyptian prima ballerina. Through her photographs, she took me back to the 60s, to the journey behind her memorable dance. All I could think was the fact that we have lost the TV tape of this iconic dance because of our poor archiving system in Egypt.
I want to make this documentary to restore a vanished form of art in Egypt. I am eager to employ various filmmaking elements including characters, backstory, archival footage, interactive dance and technology to tell an emotionally-driven story of the past, while making the audience experience a full range of sentiments. I hope that the holographic dance itself would be shown as an art installation project in the world’s most notable museums, to celebrate the pioneers of ballet dance in Egypt.
I am interested in producing The Fountain of Bakhchisarai, because I believe that the best documentaries are those that combine documenting an event with an interesting human story. Reuniting legendary former ballerinas from Egypt after 50 years, and combining their stories on Egyptian art and culture scene layered over Egypt’s rare archival footage of the 60s with hologram technology, then exhibiting it to the audience in a nostalgic and vintage style will result in a unique documentary that is simultaneously human, artistic and entertaining, with a universal appeal.
We are currently at the development phase, and we are participating in various film markets to meet international producers and distributors to survey opportunities for co-production and distribution at an early stage. As a creative documentary, I believe that The Fountain of Bakhchisarai has the potential to be a co-production between the Arab world, Europe and the US, not only because of its subject, but also because of the restoration process of the dance.
I believe that the story of The Fountain of Bakhchisarai is universal and unique. Therefore, I try to seek different kinds of co-production opportunities; not only with film funds but also with hologram technology companies and ballet and art institutes. After all, I am sure that the documentary has an interesting story beyond ballet, as it tells a national story with an international impact, while dancing and arts make present the potential for it to be featured in theatrical releases, and to be regionally and internationally distributed through various distribution platforms.
2018: Kilo 64
2016: The Halal Guy