The Virgin, the Copts and Me
| The Virgin, the Copts and Me | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Namir Abdel Messeeh |
| Produced by | Centre National de la Cinématographie, Doha Film Institute, Maison de l'Image Basse-Normandie, Oweda Films |
| Written by | Namir Abdel Messeeh, Nathalie Najem, Anne Paschetta |
| Screenplay by | Namir Abdel Messeeh, Nathalie Najem, Anne Paschetta |
| Starring | Namir Abdel Messeeh, Siham Abdel Messeeh, |
| Music by | Vincent Segal |
| Cinematography | Nicolas Duchêne |
| Edited by | Sebastien De Sainte Croix, Isabelle Manquillet |
| Distributed by | Doc & Film International, Sophie Dulac Distribution (France) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country |
Egypt France Qatar |
| Language | Arab, French |
The Virgin, the Copts and Me is a 2011 documentary film directed by Namir Abdel Messeeh.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Synopsis
Namir is Egyptian, a Copt and now lives in France.[2][3][4][6][7][8][9] When there is a family reunion, he buys an old video cassette recorded many years earlier at a religious holiday in his home village, when his mother said she had had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary.[2][3][4][8][9] Namir realizes he has in his hands a very interesting subject for a documentary: he convinces his producer that it is a good idea and sets off on a journey that takes him back to his origins and puts his profession as a director to the test.[2][3][4][6][7][9] However, he has not reckoned with his mother, the real protagonist of the story.[2][3][4][9][10] Eventually, in her hometown, they recreate an apparition with the help of the other villagers.[2][3][9]
Critical reception
- Shown at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, the Festival Cinema Africano, the 2012 EBS International Documentary Festival, the 2012 Kraków Film Festival and at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.[2][3][4][7][9] It will be shown at the 2013 Sydney Film Festival.[6][11]
- Variety drew a parallel between the Coptic minority in Egypt and the Egyptian minority in France, and they commended the editing.[5] For Slant Magazine, the staged apparition brings the film to a "satisfying climax".[9] The Huffington Post commended the director's decision to keep the footage filmed in 2010, prior to the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.[11] For America, the "Coptic population" is "held together by a shared sense of self-abnegation and unwavering faith" and it is "faith that remains a rallying force for the Copts on the screen" despite their "victimized status as a religious minority".[12]
References
- ↑ La Vierge, les Coptes et Moi at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "The Virgin, the Copts and Me". Tribecafilm.com. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Festival Cinema Africano
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 EBS International Documentary Festival
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jay Weissberg, The Virgin, the Copts and Me, Variety, Nov. 8, 2011
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Sydney Film Festival
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Kraków Film Festival
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The San Francisco Chronicle
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Gerard Raymond, Tribeca Film Festival 2012: The Virgin, the Copts and Me, Slant Magazine, April 25th, 2012
- ↑ African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival - Milan - 22nd edition (license CC BY-SA)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 E. Nina Rothe, DFI Presents Groundbreaking: The Virgin, the Copts and Me at Tribeca, Huffington Post, 04/27/2012
- ↑ Victor Stepien, Keeping the Faith, America, October 8, 2012