Known for her films that tackle social concerns, Hend Sabry now stars in “The Parrot”, which is to be featured at the 23rd Franco Arab Film Festival. By screening at the Short Film Night, along two other films, “The Parrot” marks its second participation in international film festivals.
Directed by Darin J. Sallam and Amjad Al-Rasheed, the film tells the story of a Mizrahi Jewish family that emigrates from Tunisia and tries to settle into their new life in Haifa, Palestine, in 1948.
The film stars artists from different regions in the Middle East, including Hend Sabry, Ashraf Barhoum, Yasmine Ben Amara, Eyad Hourani, Firas Taybeh, Lara Sawalha, and Ahmad Al-Madani.
“The Parrot” is written by Amjad Al Rasheed, Darin J. Sallam, and Rifqi Assaf and is funded by the German foundation Robert Bosch Stiftung (RBS).
The film was first introduced to the world at the 13th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) within the Muhr Short competition, where it was accredited for the idea and plot.
It received the 2015 Film Prize of RBS in the short-fiction category.
“The Parrot” is the fourth short film to star Hend Sabry. She previously collaborated with young directors in their short films, starting with Sherif El Bendary in “Sabah El-Fol” (Rise and Shine) in 2006, which was screened in 75 festivals across more than 33 countries.
The one-shot, 9-minute film displays the struggle of a woman of a lower social class who fights the social and economic frustrations surrounding her while reviving the rare intimate moments she shares with her husband. The film was awarded the Best Short Film Award at Ismailia Film Festival.
Soon after, Sabry played the main role of the award-winning short film “Nahar W Leil” (Day and Night) by Islam Azzazi, which also took part in many festivals and won several awards.
In a duet with charismatic Egyptian actor Bassem Samra, the events of the 34-minute film take place in 24 hours, where Samra merges living between the melancholy of the past and the beauty of the present.
Sabry also participated in the Tunisian film “Zat Masaa’ Ma’ Julila” (One Evening in July) by Rajaa Amari, which was also awarded as the best film at the African, Asian, and Latin American Film Festival of Milan.
