Ayten Amin (Arabic: آيتن أمين) is an Egyptian film director, writer, and producer. She began her career making documentary films during the

Egyptian Revolution of 2011 The 2011 Egyptian revolution, also known as the 25 January Revolution (;), began on 25 January 2011 and spread across Egypt. The date was set by various youth groups to coincide with the annual Egyptian "Police holiday" as a statement against ...

and is best known for '' Souad'', '' Villa 69'', and '' Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad, and the Politician''

Early life

Ayten Amin was born in

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, Egypt. Her debut was in 2005, when she made short films about belly dancing, and the Egyptian actress Madiha Kamel. Amin studied

film criticism Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: Academic criticism by film studies, film scholars, who study the composition of film theory and publish ...

at the

American University in Cairo The American University in Cairo (AUC; ) is a private research university in New Cairo, Egypt. The university offers American-style learning programs at undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels, along with a continuing education program. ...

, where she directed and produced the film ''Her Man'' (راجلها), which was screened in 10 international film festivals. Amin began working as an assistant director in 2008. Her breakout was in 2011 with ''Spring 89'', which was shown at

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

Career

Ayten Amin was in the streets of Cairo during the protests of January 25th as well as the Egyptian Revolution, and her interest in the protests prompted her filming them, and co-directing '' Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad, and the Politician'' in 2011: with her contribution to the film being ''"the Bad."'' This film catapulted her career, allowing her to create '' Villa 69'', and gain notable roles in writing, and producing. Amin then went on to direct the critically acclaimed television series ''Sabe' Gar'', in collaboration with filmmakers Heba Yousry and Nadine Khan. Amin's social drama '' Souad'', which premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, was included in The Guardian's 50 Best Films of 2021 in the UK and represented Egypt in the

94th Academy Awards The 94th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The awards were scheduled after their usual late February dat ...

. Amin, along with Hassan Esasam and Ahmed Ismail, wrote ''Al Shanab''; a comedy film. Amin went on to direct the project, and the film was released in 2023.

Reception

As a filmmaker, her contribution to '' Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad, and the Politician'' was viewed as unique, but nothing extraordinary, in that the proponents of the Mubarak regime she interviewed fell within their expected role, and were predictable. The series ''Sabe' Gar'' brought a great deal of praise from critics, due to its refreshingly candid depiction of Egyptian society. Amin also received a widely positive response for her film '' Souad'', which she both wrote and directed.

Personal Life

Ayten Amin practices

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. Her relationship status is unknown.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amin, Ayten 1978 births Living people Egyptian women film directors Egyptian documentary filmmakers Women documentary filmmakers