‘Henet Ward’; An Award-Winning Short Film Telling the Untold Stories of Egypt’s Refugees
After several honorable mentions, recognitions, and awards, “Henet Ward” or “Ward’s Henna Party” recently won the 2020 Baobab Award for Best Short Film at Film Africa in London. Although this is the eighth award for the film, it’s the first time the film wins the grand prize. Directed by Egyptian director Morad Mostafa, “Henet Ward” is a short film that captures the struggles of Sudanese refugees, or refugees in general, living in Egypt.
Inspired by a video of a Sudanese student getting bullied, the film portrays the idea in a very subtle and intimate setting, making it even more appealing to the viewers. Shot mainly inside one Egyptian household, Halima, the henna artist arrives at the bride’s house, and from there the story unfolds. The film was previously selected for the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France, Durban International Film Festival, BFI Film Festival London, and received special jury mention at the Palm Springs International ShortFest.
This film is Morad Mostafa’s debut film, and after the outstanding success that it achieved so far, we can’t wait to see what his future work would look like. He has two more short films and a feature film lined up for 2021.
