Kamla Abou Zekry (born January 8, 1974) is an Egyptian television and film director who directed well-known movies and TV series such as Bent Esmaha Zaat, Segn El Nisaa, and Wahed Sefr. She has taken part in many international and national film festivals, including the Cairo International Film Festival, the Dubai International Film Festival, and the Venice Film Festival. Her films have also been screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
Life
Abou Zekry was born in Cairo, Egypt. She graduated from the High Cinema Institute, and started her film career by collaborating with Nadel Galal on 131 Ashghal in 1993.
Zekry has collaborated with screenwriter Mariam Naoom on several TV series. A Girl Named Zat (2013) was an adaptation of Sonallah Ibrahim's 1992 novel Zaat. Women's Prison (2014), based on a play by Fathia al-Assal, was shot in Qanater Prison.
Abou Zekry was quick to respond to the January 25 Revolution. 18 Days was a collaboration with Mariam Abou Auf, daughter of Egyptian actor and composer Ezzat Abou Aouf, while God's Creation followed the story of a girl selling tea on the street who joins the revolution.
A Day for Women was the opening film at Cairo Film Festival in winter 2016.
Works
Films
(with Nadel Galal) 131 Ashghal / 131 Works, 1993
Qittar Al Sa’aa Al Sadisah / The Six O’ Clock Train, 1999. Short film. (with Nader Galal) Hello America, 2000 Sanna Oula Nasb / First Year Con, 2004. Feature film. Malek wa ketaba, 2005. Feature film. An el ashq wel hawa, 2006 (with Mariam Abou Auf) Tamantashar Yom / 18 Days, 2011 Khelket Rabena / God's Creation, 2011 A Day for Women, 2016
TV Series
6 Midan El-Tahrir, 2009
Wahed-Sefr / One-Zero, 2009
A Girl Named Zat, 2013
Segn El Nesa / Women's Jail, 2014
Wahet El Ghoroub / Sunset Oasis, 2017
100 Wesh / 100 Face, 2020
Bitulou' Al-Rouh/As the Spirit breaks out (in critique of ISIS), 2022
References
External links
Kamlah Abou Zekry on elcinema.com
Kamla Abou Zekry on Festival Scope Pro
Abu Zekri Kamla on africine.org (in French)