The Egyptian film "Bab El-Wadaa'" (The Gate of Departure) has won six major awards at the 2016 Egyptian Cinema Film Association Festival, scoring the most awards of any film at the event.
Written and directed by Egyptian filmmaker Karim Hanafy, the film beat eight competitors at the 42nd edition in the categories of best film, best cinematography, best director, best music, best poster and best sound.
"From the very first moment, "The Gate of Departure" has received rave reviews that helped introduce it to audiences and present it at festivals," Hanafy said commenting on the wins, according to distributor Mad Solutions' official press release .
"The film completely owes its reputation to critics, as that critical acclaim has led to the Egyptian Cinema Film Association Festival awards," Hanafy said.
"Bab El-Wadaa," which examines the nature of mortality, grief and psychological entrapment, has been praised for its stunning visuals, poetic style and unique story structure.
The critically acclaimed film tells the story of a boy who is trapped by his mother's unending sadness and the guilt over breaking free from her control over his life. It follows the boy as he struggles to grow up with his mother's sorrow, move on and live his life on his own terms.
“I’ve had the idea of this film for many years. It was like something that I had to do. And it was always going to represent a non-linear structure that represented life through death. The feeling of going up and around, and then going back again,” Hanafy told Screen Daily in late 2014.
The film premiered at the 2014 Cairo International Film Festival, where it was the only Egyptian official selection and where it won the Silver Pyramid for Best Artistic Contribution.
It had its United States premiere at the Arab Film Festival in San Fransisco and recently participated in the 2016 Luxor Arab and European Film Festival.