Renowned Iranian photographer and filmmaker Shirin Neshat is back with Looking for Oum Kulthum, a film tracing the life of a legendary Egyptian singer. Neshat spoke to DW ahead of its June 7 release in Germany.
“I’ve been working on this film for seven years. And I think it’s enough!” said New York-based Iranian director and photographer Shirin Neshat following a screening of her latest feature, Looking for Oum Kulthum.
Oum Kulthum was a beloved Egyptian singer born in 1898 who is still revered for her extraordinary voice. But her persona had an impact far beyond the stage. As an Arab woman, Kulthum had to overcome severe gender inequality to become a star that continues to inspire millions of women more than 40 years after her death.
Neshat’s biopic also has an autobiographical dimension in that it revolves around an Iranian woman artist who sets out to capture the life and art of the iconic singer.
The filmmaker premiered the work at the Venice Film Festival last September — she won the Silver Lion at Venice in 2009 for her first feature, “Women without Men” — and it will be released across Europe in the coming months. It has already been surprisingly well received in Egypt.
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