El Gouna Film Festival Hosts “Life After Siham” Middle Eastern Premiere
○ 07 September 2025
The management of El Gouna Film Festival has announced the participation of director Namir Abdel Messeeh’s documentary “Life After Siham” in its eighth edition, as part of the official documentary competition. It will be premiered in the Middle East, following its world premiere at the 78th Cannes Film Festival last May, within the proceedings of ACID program which supports independent cinema.
Regarding his participation, Abdel Messeeh stated, “I’m pleased with the film’s Middle Eastern premiere at the El Gouna Film Festival. It is one of the film’s development stages through the CineGouna platform. I’m also glad because it is finally screened in Egypt, following its screening at the Cannes Festival. The story of the film is connected to Egypt, as well as France”.
He added, “Recently, I’ve bought a kitten for my children. They were extremely glad. I just thought that one day they would be sad for its loss. When I chose that kitten, I also chose accepting the grief of goodbyes. We cannot feel gladness without sadness; they are two sides of the same coin. Basically, I wanted them to experience this suffering. The love experience will eventually be deeper and stronger. I know it’s worth it. After sadness comes gratitude. We learn that mourning and farewells allow us to overcome pain towards a new birth. This is the story I tackle in ‘Life After Siham’”.
One of the co-producers, Baho Bakhsh, noted, “The film is so personal and true. It poses open questions and allow several -as well as contradictory- answers. Namir is a unique filmmaker. In his film, ‘Life After Siham’, he offers audiences quiet contemplation and open-mindedness, apart from preconceived notions or ready answers. We need more documentaries that highlight intellectual approaches that show the human complexity in today’s world, without getting trapped in self-censorship or fear of misunderstanding”.
She added, “I was lucky to watch Namir’s first film. Last year, we were at Hurghada Airport on our way back from El Gouna Film Festival. Our flight to Cairo was delayed for hours. Hence, I watched a special film with a sense of honesty and interesting storytelling. We, Red Star, are pleased to join the production team of his new film”.
The film runs for 76 minutes and is Abdel Messeeh’s second feature-length documentary. He continues exploring themes of identity, belonging, and memory, through a profound human treatment that touches audiences’ emotions. The film starts with Namir losing his mother; Siham. She passed away while he was still a child, unaware of the reality of loss. In the childhood world, mothers remain immortal. In order to keep her memory alive, Namir dives into the history of his family in Egypt and France, using references from Youssef Chahine’s cinema, accompanying him on his journey. He highlights the story of alienation and love before anything else.
The film is an Egyptian-French co-production by Aweda Films. It is co-produced by Les Films D’Ici, Red Star, and Ambient Light, and distributed by Meteore Films and Split Screen.