Mona Zaki's First Move Behind The Camera Is Already Making Waves Internationally

After dedicating over three decades of her life to being in front of the camera, Egypt’s beloved Mona Zaki has made a triumphant debut behind the lens.

The actress co-produced Alone, a short film that premiered at the Hollywood Arab Film Festival and took home three of the biggest awards of the night in Best Short Film, Best Director and Best Actress. In the four months since its release, it has been shortlisted for eight film festivals. Its crowning jewel is its selection for the Berlin Female Filmmakers Festival, announced by Zaki’s production house HerStory Films via Instagram on Tuesday.

The festival will run from October 7 to 11 at the Moviemento Cinema in the German capital, giving like-minded talent a chance to network and attend educational panels. It also provides audiences with a unique opportunity to watch female-made films from around the world and honours outstanding entries.

Alone is the most successful venture from Zaki’s new enterprise, created in partnership with May Abdel Asim in 2024 to provide female filmmakers with a platform to showcase their talents by providing funding for writers and directors in the Middle East to tell local stories authentically.

The featurette is stacked with regional female talent, including co-producer Abdel Asim, director Mona Daoud, who co-wrote the script with Shahira Galal, actresses Latifa Fahmy and Karima Mansour, and a host of others.

Running for just under 20 minutes, the original screenplay is shot completely in Arabic with English subtitles. It explores the relationship between an older woman named Mady, who suffers from dementia and her caregiver. The younger woman struggles with an unspoken grief of her own as she looks after Mady, who believes she has been abandoned by her daughters while living in denial of her illness. The dichotomy in portrayals of loneliness and solitude earns the film its accolades.