Directed by Maggie Morgan, the film delves into the life of Azharite scholar Mohamed Abdallah Draz through his personal papers—letters, diaries and photographs—discovered by his great-granddaughter, Noha El-Kholy.
The jury praised the film for its "sophisticated humanitarian approach" and "profound social messages," noting that it embodies "the essence of authentic Egyptian cinema."
The film traces Draz's legacy and his progressive views on equality and scholarship, ideas that were later overshadowed. Drawing from the archive uncovered by his great-granddaughter, Morgan charts Draz's journey from his humble beginnings in the village of Mahallat Diyay to his formative years in Alexandria and his academic pursuits in Paris.
The Memoirs of M.A. Draz had its world premiere at the 2025 Aswan International Women's Film Festival, where it won both the Rashida Abdel Salam Award and the EU Prize for Best Euro-Mediterranean Film Addressing Women's Issues.
It was later screened during the Goethe Film Week at Cairo's Goethe-Institut and at the French Institutes in Cairo and Alexandria, before enjoying a successful three-week theatrical run at Zawya Cinema in Cairo.
Mediterranean Feature Film Awards
Founded in 1979, the Alexandria Mediterranean Countries Film Festival, also known as the Alexandria International Film Festival, is one of Egypt's oldest film events. Its 41st edition took place from 2 to 6 October 2025, culminating in a closing ceremony at the Antoniades Garden Theatre in Alexandria.
The festival hosts several competitions, including the main Mediterranean Feature Film Competition, the Egyptian Feature Film Competition, the Nour El-Sherif Arab Feature Film Competition, the Egypt Youth Competition, the Mediterranean Short Film Competition and the Children's Competition.
The Best Film Award in the Mediterranean Feature Film Competition went to Al-Mandaber (The Pulpit) by Egyptian director Ahmed Abdel Aal.
Spanish director Arturo Dueñas Herrero received the Youssef Chahine Award for Best Director.
Albanian actress Gressa Pallaska won the Faten Hamama Award for Best Actress for her role in Waterdrop. At the same time, the film's screenwriter, Robert Budina, received the Naguib Mahfouz Award for Best Screenplay.
French-Senegalese actor Oumar Diaw won the Omar Sharif Award for Best Actor for his performance in "Where There Is Love."
The Special Jury Prize was awarded to "Behind One Smile," a Croatian-American production that depicts a 14-year-old boy's journey fleeing the war-torn city of Aleppo.
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