Aida El-Kashef

Aida El- Kashif is an independent Egyptian actress, film-maker, and a director. Her acting skills have been remarkable in The Ship of Theseus (2012), Moderation (2016) and Walled w Bent (2010). She was born on 17th of June in Cairo, Egypt. She is 26 years of age. Her sun sign is Gemini. She has directed two recognized short films, A Tin Tale (2011) and the Rhapsody in autumn (2009). She is also a political activist and has co-founded important initiatives like the media Mosireen in 2011, as well as operation anti- sexual harassment in 2011.

She has also been a great second unit director (assistant director) to some grievous directors in some of the short movies like Salam Ya Salam. The talented woman has many other professions. She has served as a producer in The Trials of the Spring and the Rhapsody in Autumn. Also, a screenplay writer and a photographer for the Rhapsody in Autumn. Aida mainly directs and writes feminism based movies. She filmed the events of Arab Spring and also protested in Tahrir Square. Aida was one of the first supporters in occupying Tahrir, where she had set up a tent.

The lady had filmed the “aggressive assaults against women” that participated in the protests and risked their safety. Her encroaching films of men assailing women were shown everywhere across the world. She also portrayed the grief of family members during the protests.

She was known as ‘the lady with the camera’ while she was filming the proceedings of the protests. Also, she was unable to join the promotions of The Ship of Theseus because of the on-going unrest in Egypt protesting the regime of Mohammed Morsi. She won the best actress award in the Muhr award show, Asia- Africa feature category for The Ship of Theseus at the Abu Dhabi film festival, Dubai. Aida also planned to produce her first full-length documentary about domestic abuse in Egypt, the name being, the Day I Ate the Fish (2015). She had also achieved the National Film Award for the favorite supporting actress in 2014 and the Screen award for best female debut (2014). She has attended the High cinema institute in Gizah and graduated from the Thebes American College in 2006, Cairo.

Her father, Radwan El- Kashif, was a great director too. But the ambitious woman once mentioned in an interview that she is not following the path of her father but struggling to achieve her dreams. Aida’s favorite directors are Osama Fawzy, Khairy Beshara, and Mohamed Amin. Aida also stated in an interview that her priority was mostly making films and acting was not her focus, though she is an amazing actress. Although, she always keeps her mind open and takes up projects if they are interesting enough to do whether in India or Egypt, just like she did Anand Gandhi’s movie. She is a brave, independent and a talented woman and an ethereal filmmaker.