Hend Sabri
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Hend Sabry (, born 1979) is a Tunisian and
Egyptian ''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...
actress and producer. She is mostly known for being active in
Egyptian cinema The Egyptian film industry is today based mainly in Cairo, which is sometimes referred to as Hollywood on the Nile, Hollywood of the Middle East or Hollywood of the East, despite having its beginnings in the city of Alexandria in the early 20t ...
.


Early life and education

Hend Sabry was born in 1979 in Kebli, Tunisia. She studied law, completing a
master’s degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practi ...
in
intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...
and
copyright law A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive legal right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, e ...
in 2004.


Career


The 1990s/2000s

Sabry’s breakthrough in the film industry was in 1994 at the age of 14 in her first acting role in '' The Silences of the Palace'' (Samt El Qosour), the debut feature of
Moufida Tlatli Moufida Tlatli (; 4 August 19477 February 2021) was a Tunisian film director, screenwriter, and editor. She is best known for her breakthrough film '' The Silences of the Palace'', which won several international awards and was praised by critic ...
. The Tunisian film won numerous awards including the
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 ...
’s Camera d’Or and earned Sabry the Best Actress award at the
Carthage Film Festival Carthage Film Festival (Journées cinématographiques de Carthage, or JCC) is an annual film festival that takes place in Tunis, founded in 1966. It is also known by its Arabic title, ("Cinema Days of Carthage"). Initially biennial alternating ...
that year.  The film is considered a classic in Arab Cinema and in 2021 was ranked 1st on the list of the 100 Best Women's Films in the history of Arab Cinema and 5th in the
Dubai International Film Festival The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF, ) was the largest film festival in the Arab world, Arab region. With particular emphasis on showcasing Arab cinema, Arab, Asian cinema, Asian, and African cinema, it also helped to develop industry a ...
(DIFF)'s publication ''Cinema of Passion: Dubai's list of the 100 Most Important Arab Films''. After ''The Silences of the Palace'', Sabry took a break from acting to continue her studies. She returned to the big screen in Tlatli’s second feature, '' The Season of Men'' (2000) a feminist critique of the traditional code of behavior that many Tunisian women are subjected to.  It premiered at Cannes'
Un Certain Regard (; 'A Certain Glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob. The section presents 20 films with unusua ...
. In 2001 Sabry received her law degree from
Tunis University Tunis University (, ) is a public university in Tunis, Tunisia. It was founded in 1960 on the basis of earlier educational establishments. The University of Tunis is a member of the Mediterranean University Union (UNIMED) and of Agence univers ...
and went on to appear in her first Egyptian film, ''Diary Of A Teenager'' (''Mothakerat Morahkah'') helmed by Inas El-Degheidy, a director whose films often center around female characters and with frank depictions of sexuality. The story of a teenage girl (Sabry) who embarks on a sexual relationship proved to be controversial in Egypt for breaking taboos around pre-marital sex. Sabry was surprised by the reaction: “I came from a unisiancinema that was much more progressive and visually much more daring as well as in the storytelling. I was very ignorant about Egyptian cinema because I was Francophone, Francophile and more into Western movies so I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into.” Despite the controversy, the film was a commercial success and her breakthrough film in Egypt. In the early 2000s, Sabry was traveling back and forth between Egypt and Tunisia juggling both studies and acting. While having put aside her plans of joining the Tunisian Foreign Service to instead pursue acting full-time, she recognized the importance of intellectual property (IP) to a career in the film industry, and received a master’s degree in
intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...
and
copyright law A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive legal right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, e ...
in 2004. In 2002 Sabry starred in Daoud Abdel Sayed’s Egyptian comedy drama ''A Citizen, A Detective And A Thief ''(Mowaten we Mokhber we Haramy) alongside the popular musician-actor Shaaban Abdel Rehim. This film too, proved controversial around its depiction of sex, as well as of censorship and police ineptitude.  It was nonetheless a box office hit in Egypt and the region. Sabry’s first blockbuster came in 2006 with ''
The Yacoubian Building ''The Yacoubian Building'' ( ''‘Imārat Ya‘qūbyān'') is a novel by Egyptian author Alaa-Al-Aswany. The book was made into a film of the same name in 2006 and into a TV series in 2007. Published in Arabic in 2002 and in an English trans ...
'' (Oumaret Yacoubian), Marwan Hamad’s international breakthrough feature adapted from
Alaa Al Aswany Alaa Al Aswany (, ; born 26 May 1957) is an Egyptians, Egyptian writer, novelist, dentist and a founding member of the political movement Kefaya. He is based in Paris and New York where lives and teaches creative writing. Early life and career ...
’s eponymous 2007 social
satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...
set against the backdrop of an apartment building in downtown Cairo. It was Egypt’s most expensive film to date and went on to set a record for the biggest debut ever for an Egyptian theatrical release. It was also the first of a series of collaborations between Sabry and Hamad. A lover of the short film format, that same year, she appeared in an indie short, ''Rise and Shine (2006)'' by Egyptian director Sherif Elbendary, which won numerous awards locally and internationally including at the
Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...
. In 2009 Sabry appeared in Marwan Hamad’s second feature, '' Ibrahim Labyad'' (2009) an Egyptian drama co-starring Ahmed El-Sakka one of Egypt’s biggest stars.


The 2010s

In keeping with her stated preference for taking on socially relevant roles, Sabry increasingly appeared in films and series with a perceived social impact. The 2010 comedy series ''I Want to Get Married'' (Ayiza Atgawez) would prove seminal to Sabry’s career. Adapted from Ghada Abdel Aal‘s popular autobiographical blog-turned-book, the series pokes fun at, while criticizing, the societal pressures Egyptian women face to get married young. The series was a huge success in the
MENA region The Middle East and North Africa (MENA), also referred to as West Asia and North Africa (WANA) or South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA), is a geographic region which comprises the Middle East (also called West Asia) and North Africa together ...
turning Sabry, who plays a pharmacist desperate to get married before she turns 30, into a regional star. A
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
of the series twelve years later would be another important marker in her career. In 2011 Sabry appeared in ''
Asmaa ''Asmaa'' or ''Asma'a'' () is a 2011 Egyptian drama film, and is the first such feature film to present AIDS patients sympathetically. Written and directed by Amr Salama, the film tells the history of a woman with HIV who struggles to live und ...
,'' director and writer
Amr Salama Amr Salama (; born 22 November 1982) is an Egyptian film director, blogger, screenwriter, and author. Film career Born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he later moved with his family back to Egypt. He began his directing career primarily with short mo ...
's second feature. Inspired by real events of an Egyptian woman who died from a burst gallbladder because doctors refused to operate when learning she had
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
, Salama sought to raise awareness and change misconceptions about AIDS in Egypt.  Critically acclaimed and popular on the international festival circuit, the film garnered a number of awards including the 2012
Murex d'Or The Murex d'Or (also known as the Golden Murex award) is a Lebanon, Lebanese award created by two Lebanon, Lebanese physicians, Zahi and Fadi Helou to recognize achievements in the domain of art in Lebanon, the Arab world, Arab region and the wor ...
Award for Best Arabian Actress for Sabry. In 2013, ''
Arabian Business ''Arabian Business'' (''AB'') is a weekly business magazine published in Dubai and focusing on global and regional news analysis. The brand is aimed at the English and Arabic-speaking communities and is published in both languages. Its circula ...
'' listed her among the "100 most powerful Arab Women". In 2014 she became a partner of Tayarah, one of Egypt's biggest platforms for video and digital content production. In 2015 she established her Cairo-based Salam Production company. The Tunisian drama '' The Flower Of Aleppo'' (2016) was the first film produced under the banner of Salam Production. Sabry played the lead role of a mother who disguises herself as a Jihadi woman to rescue her teenage son who had joined
ISIS Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
in
Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...
, Syria. That same year she appeared in the drama series ''Life is Beautiful,'' (Halawat Al Dounia) about a woman who is diagnosed with leukemia right before getting married, and starring opposite fellow Tunisian Dhafer L’Abidine.  In December, the
Cairo International Film Festival The Cairo International Film Festival is an annual internationally accredited film festival held in Cairo Opera House. It was established in 1976 and has taken place every year since its inception, except for 2011 and 2013, when it was cancelled ...
(CIFF) bestowed her with the
Faten Hamama Faten Ahmed Hamama (,  ; 27 May 1931 – 17 January 2015) was an Egyptian film and television actress and film producer. She made her screen debut in 1939, when she was only seven years old. Her earliest roles were minor, but her activity an ...
Award for Excellence at the 2017 edition.https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/475709.aspx In 2019, Sabry appeared in two notable, though vastly different films.  In '' The Blue Elephant 2'', an Egyptian horror film by Marwan Hamad, she starred alongside a cast of Egyptian stars that included
Karim Abdel Aziz Karim Abdel Aziz () (born August 17, 1975) is an Egyptian actor and director. He is the son of director Mohammad Abdul Aziz and nephew of film director Omar Abdel Aziz. He began acting as a child, making his acting debut in his father's film (B ...
,
Nelly Karim Nelly Karim (; born 18 December 1974) is an Egyptian actress and singer, model, and former ballerina. Early Life Nelly Karim is the daughter of a Soviet Russian mother from Leningrad and an Egyptian father from Zagazig. Born in Alexandria, E ...
, and Tara Emad. A sequel to Hamad's '' The Blue Elephant'' (2014), it became the highest-earning film in Egyptian history. In '' Noura's Dream'' a small Tunisian independent film, she plays a working-class mother of three in the wake of the
Arab Spring The Arab Spring () was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings, and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began Tunisian revolution, in Tunisia ...
whose abusive husband is being released from prison early. The film won the Golden Tanit award and the Best Actress Award for Sabry at the
Carthage Film Festival Carthage Film Festival (Journées cinématographiques de Carthage, or JCC) is an annual film festival that takes place in Tunis, founded in 1966. It is also known by its Arabic title, ("Cinema Days of Carthage"). Initially biennial alternating ...
. About working in Tunisia, Sabry said: “I try to work there every three to four years because I don’t want to stay away longer. It’s always a pleasure because it’s a small industry. Not even an industry, it’s a craftsmanship; small films with very low budgets and no star system. It’s a reality check and only your performance matters. I can also speak in my mother tongue, which always helps me in my performance.”  Sabry became the first Arab woman to ever receive the Starlight Cinema Award of the
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...
in 2019.


The 2020s

In 2020 Netflix announced that it was partnering with Sabry to develop '' Finding Ola,'' a reboot of her 2010 ''I Want to Get Married'' (Ayiza Atgawez) series. For the first time, Sabry also assumed the role of
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...
. Released in February 2022, the series finds Ola, now a mother of two, trying to rebuild her life when her husband announces he wants a separation.  The series made it to the streamer’s Top 10 worldwide and also kept the number one spot for three weeks in the Arab-speaking world. In 2022 Sabry would again collaborate with Marwan Hamad (for the fourth time) in his next record-breaking blockbuster ''Kira and El Gin'' and opposite Ahmed Ezz and
Karim Abdel Aziz Karim Abdel Aziz () (born August 17, 1975) is an Egyptian actor and director. He is the son of director Mohammad Abdul Aziz and nephew of film director Omar Abdel Aziz. He began acting as a child, making his acting debut in his father's film (B ...
. An anti-colonial drama adapted from Ahmed Mourad’s 2014 novel ''1919'', the film is set during the Egyptian independence movement of the 1920s. It was well received by critics and a massive box office success, breaking the previous record held by Hamad's 2019 hit ''Blue Elephant 2''. In 2023, Sabry starred in Tunisian director
Kaouther Ben Hania Kaouther Ben Hania, also written Kaouther Ben Henia or Kaouther Benhenia (), is a Tunisian film director. Her 2017 film '' Beauty and the Dogs'' was selected as the Tunisian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. ...
’s documentary '' Four Daughters'' about a mother and two daughters’ recounting of the traumatic loss of the two older daughters who left the family to join ISIS. Sabry is one of several actresses who played out key scenes involving the mother and departed sisters. Universally acclaimed, ''Four Daughters'' took home three prizes at Cannes 2023 and was in contention for both Best Documentary and Best International Feature Film at the 2023 Oscars. In 2024 Sabry took on the starring role of Amira in ''Moftaraq Toroq'' (Crossroads), the Arabic adaptation of the popular American series ''
The Good Wife ''The Good Wife'' is an American legal political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in law ...
.''  It launched in June to top ratings across the MENA region.  Sabry and the writers were intentional in adapting the storyline to regional cultural norms. For example, they tread carefully in depicting how her character interacted with her boss—a relationship filled with sexual tension in the original series. Later in 2024, she returned to the small screen in season two of ''Finding Ola'' and once again serving as executive producer. That same year, Sabry appeared in ''Aserb: The Squadron'', an Egyptian action film based on the actual events of the massacre of 21 Egyptian Copts in Libya and the ensuing Egyptian military operations against the responsible terrorists. Sabry, who had always represented herself, signed with the talent agency CAA in 2023 explaining that in addition to identifying more acting roles, she was interested to find more female-driven projects for her Salam Production company. Sabry has often been critical about the Arab film industry's discrimination toward women. "We face many challenges. We are paid far less than our male counterparts, and we also get less exposure than they do. There are also far fewer scripts written for female characters. Male characters predominate and remain the motor of Arab cinema. Producers and distributors generally still don’t see actresses in the region as powerhouses who can boost box office revenues. Also, women who become professional actors are held to a different standards than men." In April 2025, Sabry signed on with Cairo-based talent management agency MAD Celebrity to represent her in North Africa and the Middle East.


Philanthropy

In 2010 she was appointed a goodwill ambassador against hunger by the UN World Food Programme (WFP). In November 2023 she resigned from her role, citing their failure to act during the
Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip The restrictions on movement and goods in Gaza imposed by Israel date to the early 1990s. After Hamas took over in 2007, Israel significantly intensified existing movement restrictions and imposed a complete blockade on the movement of good ...
.


Personal life

Sabry was once engaged to Syrian actor
Bassel Khaiat Bassel Khaiat (Arabic: باسل خياط, born 29 August 1977) is a Syrian actor, working in theatre, television, and film. Early life Khaiat was born in Damascus, Syria, and has a brother named Mohammed. Khaiat started acting at eight years ol ...
. She married Egyptian businessman Ahmad el Sherif in 2008, and they have two daughters. Sabry holds dual nationality, of both her home country Tunisia and her country of residence,
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
.


Filmography


Films


Television series


Distinctions


Industry Awards

* 1994: Best Actress Award,
Carthage Film Festival Carthage Film Festival (Journées cinématographiques de Carthage, or JCC) is an annual film festival that takes place in Tunis, founded in 1966. It is also known by its Arabic title, ("Cinema Days of Carthage"). Initially biennial alternating ...
for '' The Silences of the Palace'' * 2002: Best Actress Award, Namur International Francophone Film Festival, for ''Poupées d'argile '' * 2019: Best actress Award,
Carthage Film Festival Carthage Film Festival (Journées cinématographiques de Carthage, or JCC) is an annual film festival that takes place in Tunis, founded in 1966. It is also known by its Arabic title, ("Cinema Days of Carthage"). Initially biennial alternating ...
for ''Noura's Dream'' * 2019: Best Actress Award,
El Gouna Film Festival The El Gouna Film Festival (GFF; ) is an annual film festival established in 2017, held in the Red Sea resort town of El Gouna, Egypt. The event is hosted by the El Gouna Convention and Culture Centre. The festival focuses on storytelling trends, ...
for ''Noura's Dream'' * 2020: Best Actress Award, Annual Critics Awards for Arab Films at the Cannes Film Festival for ''Noura's Dream''


Other

* 2021: Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (France) * 2024:
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's '' 100 Women'' list


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sabry, Hend 1979 births 20th-century Tunisian actresses 21st-century Tunisian actresses Ambassadors of supra-national bodies Egyptian film actresses Egyptian television actresses Living people Lycée Pierre Mendès France (Tunisia) alumni People from Kebili Governorate Tunisian film actresses Tunisian television actresses World Food Programme people