Private Project

Rest in Peace

Two elderly sisters find it difficult to sleep for one of them has just lost her husband. On a night of mourning and loss, Quranic recital, prayers, and rosary beads are commonplace, but the night is suffocating and things eventually take an unexpected turn.

  • Dina Abd Elsalam
    Director
  • Dina Abd Elsalam
    Writer
  • Bibliotheca Alexandrina
    Producer
  • Dina Abd Elsalam
    Producer
  • Soheir Shokery
    Key Cast
  • Aziza Fadel
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    ألف رحمة ونور
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 53 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 3, 2014
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Egypt
  • Country of Filming:
    Egypt
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Best Short Film Award from the Egyptian National Film Festival (Oct 2015).
  • Honorary award from Film’s Association 41st Festival for Egyptian Cinema (31 Jan-7 Feb 2015).
  • Best Short Film Award from Alexandria International Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries (Youth Competition) (10-16 September 2014).
  • Jury Prize for Best Short Film from Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts-Egypt (3-8 June 2014).
  • Best Short Film Award from Rencontres de L’image Film Festival (French Institute-Egypt) (7-10 April 2014).
  • Official Competition at Festival de Film Arabe de Fameck, France 2016
  • Official Competition at Second Edition of Mediterranean Short Film Festival in Bristol- UK (13th, 21st June 2015)
  • Official Competition at Film Africa Festival in London (31 October- 9 November 2014)
  • Official Competition at Festival International du cinema Mediterraneen de Montpellier (25 Oct-1 Nov 2014)
  • Official Competition at Baghdad International Film Festival (Arab Women Filmmakers Competition), (15-19 Oct 2014)
  • Official Competition at Baghdad International Film Festival (Arab Women Filmmakers Competition), (15-19 Oct 2014)
  • Official Competition at Festival of Mediterranean Short Film of Tangier (13-18 October 2014)
  • Official Competition at 18th Annual Arab Film Festival (10 October-22 November) in San Francisco CA.
  • Official Competition at Concorto Film Festival in Italy (23-30 August)
  • Official Selection at Luxor African Film Festival- Egypt (18-24 March)
  • Official Competition at Masry Asly Film Festival- Egypt (15-18 March 2014)
Director Biography - Dina Abd Elsalam

Dina Abd Elsalam is an Egyptian indie filmmaker, who managed to make all her films in her hometown Alexandria with minimal budgets. Her works neatly belong to the auteur cinema, and they are also a perfect example of DIY, for most of the time, she is the producer, writer, director, editor, and distributor of her films. Rest in Peace 2014, Girls of a Feather 2016, and Mesteka and Rehan 2017, Cream of the Crop 2021 received critical acclaim and won numerous national and international awards. She has recently launched her feature film Cream of the Crop 2021 in her hometown Alexandria and the film is already an official selection in a number of festivals and has received several awards. She is also a writer with a novel and a collection of short stories to her name. She holds a Ph.D. in Critical Theory and currently works as an associate professor at the English Department, Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

With a tone of despair I asked myself the following questions: Why do I make films? What will I add to the film industry which already teems with big names, huge studios, and high production budgets? What is it that I can offer as an independent filmmaker with no financial resources and minimal prospects for distribution? I pondered for long and couldn’t find a “logical”, or “rational” answer, though logical and rational are human-made constructs after all. I found a sentimental one instead, which big minds would not like very much; I will sure look petty in their eyes. But I don’t really care anymore. My films might look unprofessional, or jittery at times, but if they ever managed to touch someone, move them, set them thinking, then I should go on making films. I really don’t care about the professional filmic look, high-quality cameras or expensive equipment. Why should I inflict self-torture on myself by comparing my films to high-budget ones? I have decided to shed aside all those inhibitions and insecurities. When in the margin, don’t distract yourself with things that are not meant for you, leave the mainstream for the mainstreamers, and embrace that peripheral space that allows you to express your sincere concern for humanity.