The Egyptian film “The inevitable Journey To Find a Wedding Dress”, directed by Jaylan Auf, has established itself as one of the highlights of the “Favestival Festival Faves” of the International Film of the Red Sea Film (RSIFF), which is held from December 5 to 14, 2024. This first feature film of fictional director explores the themes of resilience, Female emancipation through a captivating adventure rich in emotions.
A synopsis that transcends everyday life
The day before her wedding, Warda, a young working class woman, sees her dream collapse when an accident completely ruins her wedding dress. With the help of her best friend, Basma, she undertakes a frantic quest through the animated streets of Cairo to find a new dress in time. But this desperate research is transformed into an initiatory journey that questions their perception of the city, their identity and their place in a rapidly changing society. The film uses the wedding dress as a powerful symbol, exploring deep social issues in a Cairo which itself becomes a central character in the intrigue.
Jaylan Auf: a visionary listening to his characters
Jaylan Auf, Egyptian screenwriter and director, is not at his first attempt. After studying the writing of scenarios in Egypt and the United States, she worked as a producer and assistant director for renowned filmmakers. His short film Turning Ten (2018) won the Amnesty International Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand festival. With The inevitable day to find a wedding dressJaylan Auf carries out a project that she nourished and refined for years: ” The idea is simple: two girls looking for a wedding dress. But the more simple an idea, the more deep it can be She explains.
Jaylan Auf rewritten the scenario 13 times, while retaining the simplicity of central history. Dialogues and details have evolved, often inspired by its main actresses, Yasmin Raeis and Asmaa Galal, who helped enrich their characters thanks to intense collaboration with the director.
“” Why this film? “Said the director at the end of the screening. “” I was working on a short film, where there were weddings, brides … I had seen huge problems there, but despite all their problems, people found happiness in simple things. The dream of the dress is just a symbol ».
“” These two actresses, Yasmin Raeis and Asmaa Galal, are for me the only ones who could play these roles. While I was preparing my film, I had met them before I even send them the script, I wanted to see them closely, know them, to see if they could suit these roles. It was more than a year before the start of filming. Besides, in the last versions of the scenario, they were the ones I imagined when I thought of Warda and Basma. And the two actresses, by dint of knowing each other and knowing their characters, proposed several details to complete their roles She added.
Cairo: a full -fledged character
The film draws up a striking portrait of Cairo, capturing its multiple facets through real decorations. Jaylan AUF chose to turn exclusively in the streets and in authentic places to faithfully transcribe the soul of the city. The working -class districts, like Shoubra, and their inhabitants become the scene of scenes rich in emotions. Far from the studios and filming sets, the decrepied buildings and the crowded streets serve as a backdrop for this social and cultural exploration. “” Cairo is omnipresent. He reveals his contradictions: a place where solidarity and tension coexist, hope and resignation “Says the director.
This feeling is particularly palpable in a key scene where neighbors in the neighborhood, usually quick to argue for trivialities, come together to help Warda. They unite their skills and resources to make a wedding dress in just a few hours. This spontaneous solidarity highlights the beauty of human relations within communities where mutual aid remains an essential value.
A social and female fresco
“” It’s a women’s film “Says Jaylan Auf. Indeed, each female character, whether main or secondary, embodies a unique story. From the dream of Warda to the resignation of the woman to the police station, passing by Hajja Alya, a legendary seamstress having dressed Elizabeth Taylor for the film Cleopatrathe film explores the multiple realities of women in a patriarchal society.
The episode of Hajja Alya, who is a real character incorporated into the film, alone deserves a distinct work. This cinema costume designer retains its costumes in an old Cairo apartment and is full of fascinating anecdotes on cinema, soap operas, and the great figures of the seventh art. A particularly memorable scene the watch refusing to rent to Warda one of the wedding dresses used in the dramatic soap opera Hajj Metwalliinvoking the bad fate she could carry. In the soap opera, Hajj Metwalli marries five women, four of whom coexist under the same roof, a situation that Hajja Alya does not want to see associated with Warda.
A mirror of social injustices
The film is not content to be an intimate journey; He also denounces deep social problems. Among the most striking scenes, there is that of a wedding dresses shop where, in the basement, workers are exploited to make luxurious dresses sold to very fortunate customers in the showroom upstairs. This duality between exploitation and appearance, and between social classes, also highlights the hypocrisy of certain commercial practices. The boss of the Triche store on the origin of these dresses, which it sells at exorbitant prices by claiming that they are imported from Europe.
Another striking contradiction is that of young girls buying provocative and sexy underwear for wedding night in a very conservative society. And when young men accidentally discover a nightie bought by Warda, this triggers a street harassment scene of great violence. This moment, terrifying and overwhelming, sadly recalls the mass harassment scenes that marked Cairo in the early 2010s. But here again, as in reality, solidarity manifests itself: traders intervene to protect young girls by hiding them in their shops. This scene illustrates both the omnipresent dangers and the solidarity impulses that characterize life in Cairo.
A message of affirmation and courage
The contrast between the two protagonists in the face of these harassment and adversity is eloquently described: while Warda is looking for refuge in her bed, overwhelmed by a feeling of guilt and shame, Basma stands against societal standards by dancing alone in a circle of hip-hop boys, proclaiming his independence and his right to exist for or protected by a man.
A nice moment at the festival
During the second projection, a symbolic moment was organized: all the single women present in the room were invited on stage, and a bouquet of flowers was launched, as in weddings, adding a touch of conviviality and complicity to the festival.
With The inevitable day to find a wedding dressJaylan Auf delivers a poignant and universal film, carried out by a subtle reflection on social issues, individual dreams and the complexity of human relationships. Cairo, with its contrasts, tensions and moments of solidarity, is both the decor and the vibrant heart of this story. This first feature film, both intimate and universal, announces a promising career for this talented director.
Neïla Driss
