The Virgin, the Copts and Me is a 2011 documentary film directed by Namir Abdel Messeeh.
| The Virgin, the Copts and Me | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Namir Abdel Messeeh |
| Written by | Namir Abdel Messeeh, Nathalie Najem, Anne Paschetta |
| Screenplay by | Namir Abdel Messeeh, Nathalie Najem, Anne Paschetta |
| Produced by | Centre National de la Cinématographie, Doha Film Institute, Maison de l'Image Basse-Normandie, Oweda Films |
| Starring | Namir Abdel Messeeh, Siham Abdel Messeeh, |
| Cinematography | Nicolas Duchêne |
| Edited by | Sebastien De Sainte Croix, Isabelle Manquillet |
| Music by | Vincent Segal |
| Distributed by | Doc & Film International, Sophie Dulac Distribution (France) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Countries | Egypt France Qatar |
| Languages | Arabic, French |
It premiered at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.
Synopsis
editNamir is Egyptian, a Copt, and now lives in France.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] When there is a family reunion, he buys an old video cassette recorded many years earlier at a religious holiday in his home village, when his mother said she had had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary.[1][2][3][6][7] Namir realizes he has in his hands a very interesting subject for a documentary: he convinces his producer that it is a good idea and sets off on a journey that takes him back to his origins and puts his profession as a director to the test.[1][2][3][4][5][7] However, he has not reckoned with his mother, the real protagonist of the story.[1][2][3][7][8] Eventually, in her hometown, they recreate an apparition with the help of the other villagers.[1][2][7]
Critical reception
editIt was shown at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival,[1] the Festival Cinema Africano,[2] the 2012 EBS International Documentary Festival,[3] the 2012 Kraków Film Festival,[5] the 2012 Cannes Film Festival,[1][2][3][5][7] and at the 2013 Sydney Film Festival.[4][9]
Variety drew a parallel between the Coptic minority in Egypt and the Egyptian minority in France, and they commended the editing.[10] For Slant Magazine, the staged apparition brings the film to a "satisfying climax".[7] The Huffington Post commended the director's decision to keep the footage filmed in 2010, prior to the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.[9] For America, the "Coptic population" is "held together by a shared sense of self-abnegation and unwavering faith" and it is "faith that remains a rallying force for the Copts on the screen" despite their "victimized status as a religious minority".[11]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The Virgin, the Copts and Me". Tribecafilm.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Festival Cinema Africano
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 EBS International Documentary Festival
- 1 2 3 Sydney Film Festival
- 1 2 3 4 Kraków Film Festival Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine
- 1 2 The San Francisco Chronicle
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gerard Raymond, Tribeca Film Festival 2012: The Virgin, the Copts and Me, Slant Magazine, April 25th, 2012
- ↑ African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival - Milan - 22nd edition (license CC BY-SA)
- 1 2 E. Nina Rothe, DFI Presents Groundbreaking: The Virgin, the Copts and Me at Tribeca, Huffington Post, 04/27/2012
- ↑ Jay Weissberg, The Virgin, the Copts and Me, Variety, Nov. 8, 2011
- ↑ Victor Stepien, Keeping the Faith, America, October 8, 2012
