| The Virgin, the Copts and Me | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Namir Abdel Messeeh |
| Written by | Namir Abdel Messeeh, Nathalie Najem, Anne Paschetta |
| Screenplay by | Namir Abdel Messeeh, Nathalie Najem, Anne Paschetta |
| Produced by | Centre National de la Cinématographie, Doha Film Institute, Maison de l'Image Basse-Normandie, Oweda Films |
| Starring | Namir Abdel Messeeh, Siham Abdel Messeeh, |
| Cinematography | Nicolas Duchêne |
| Edited by | Sebastien De Sainte Croix, Isabelle Manquillet |
| Music by | Vincent Segal |
| Distributed by | Doc & Film International, Sophie Dulac Distribution (France) |
Release date |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
| Countries | Egypt France Qatar |
| Languages | Arab, French |
The Virgin, the Copts and Me is a 2011 documentary film directed by Namir Abdel Messeeh.
It premiered at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.
Namir is Egyptian, a Copt, and now lives in France. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] 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. [1] [2] [3] [6] [7] 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. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [7] However, he has not reckoned with his mother, the real protagonist of the story. [1] [2] [3] [7] [8] Eventually, in her hometown, they recreate an apparition with the help of the other villagers. [1] [2] [7]
It was shown at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, [1] the Festival Cinema Africano, [2] the 2012 EBS International Documentary Festival, [3] the 2012 Kraków Film Festival [5] , the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, [1] [2] [3] [5] [7] and at the 2013 Sydney Film Festival. [4] [9]
Variety drew a parallel between the Coptic minority in Egypt and the Egyptian minority in France, and they commended the editing. [10] For Slant Magazine , the staged apparition brings the film to a "satisfying climax". [7] The Huffington Post commended the director's decision to keep the footage filmed in 2010, prior to the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. [9] 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". [11]
