The Brink of Dreams

A group of young women in a remote Egyptian town form a remarkable theater company. Their street performances tackle major issues such as sexual violence and the oppression of women. Fact and fiction intertwine when the actors confront their audience with their beliefs—are they playing a part or manifesting their deepest frustrations and desires?

They don’t get much support from family and friends, and the brother of the group’s founder Majda even ridicules her ideas. But sometimes when they perform, their dreams do become reality, if only for a moment—like when Monika impersonates a famous singer in Caïro.

In the four years that filmmakers Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir follow the group, many major events take place in the women’s lives. One is Haidi’s marriage. How does that impact the dreams she cherishes? And Majda faces an important decision about her future. The Brink of Dreams shows that any dream, large or small, exists to be fulfilled—no matter what other people think.