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AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY continues to soar with glowing reviews following its Cannes premiere
22 May 2025
Following its powerful world premiere at the 78th Cannes Film Festival as part of the Un Certain Regard section, AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY by Egyptian director Morad Mostafa is earning widespread critical acclaim from international film critics and audiences alike.
The film, which received a standing ovation and multiple sold-out screenings at Cannes, is now being hailed as a poignant and visually arresting debut feature that cements Mostafa’s place as one of the most vital voices in contemporary Arab cinema.
Critics have praised the film’s emotional depth, political resonance, and standout performances. Allan Hunter of ScreenDaily described it as “an involving human drama focusing on the plight of the vulnerable caught in a world that seeks to exploit them,” drawing comparisons to CITY OF GOD for its raw depiction of Cairo’s underbelly and its “feeling of a lawless frontier.” He also commended Mostafa’s ability to weave a broader political narrative into the film’s backdrop through “background news bulletins and the ongoing gang wars.”
Sara Clements of Next Best Picture lauded the film’s lead, Buliana Simon, for her “haunting performance,” noting that “she communicates so much with her eyes alone that this could be a silent film, and we would be able to understand everything.”
Clements also highlighted Mostafa’s unique directorial voice, stating, “Mostafa blends magical realism with naturalism and fantastical elements, transforming Aisha’s quiet suffering into something almost mythic,” and called the film “a quiet storm – a slow-burning, relentless elegy to the women who live in the margins and walk among us unseen.”
Additionally, Egyptian critic Ahmed Shawky wrote in Fasla about the film’s importance in the Egyptian cinematic landscape, stating that “At a time when Egyptian filmmakers are imposing the highest levels of self-censorship on themselves — fearing bans on the one hand and the guillotine of public backlash on the other — a young artist has come along to disrupt this sickly, safe balance and throw a stone into stagnant waters. A bloody, violent stone named AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY.”
The film’s success at Cannes marks a significant milestone for Egyptian cinema, being the first Egyptian film selected for Un Certain Regard since Clash in 2016. With its compelling narrative, international co-production backing, and a creative team of acclaimed talents, AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY is poised to continue its festival journey with momentum and meaning.
As the film continues to resonate with audiences and critics alike, AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY is not just a cinematic achievement — it’s a powerful statement on identity, resilience, and the invisible lives that shape our cities.
AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY follows the titular Aisha, a 26-year-old Sudanese caregiver living in a neighborhood in the heart of Cairo where she witnesses the tension between her fellow African migrants and other groups. Unwittingly, she becomes involved with an Egyptian gang that blackmails her into stealing her patients’ keys so that they can rob them.
A co-production between Egypt, France, Germany, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Sudan, the film has garnered significant support, including grants from the Doha Film Institute, Cultural Resource Fund, El Gouna Film Festival, Locarno Academy, Cannes’ Cinéfondation and La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde, and Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole. It also notably swept a top award at Red Sea Lodge, five at Venice’s Final Cut, as well as the Atlas Award at Marrakech International Film Festival.
The creative team behind AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY features several returning faces from Mostafa’s I PROMISE YOU PARADISE, including cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef, who also worked on last year’s Cannes entry THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE, which also made its way to Toronto; production designer Eman Elelaby, who earned a FIPRESCI Prize for her work on FEATHERS; costume designer Nayera Eldahshoury; sound engineer Mostafa Shaban; and editor Mohamed Mamdouh.
Produced by Sawsan Yusuf’s Bonanza Films, the film is co-produced alongside Dora Bouchoucha and Lina Shaban of Tunisia’s Nomadis Images, Sherif Fathy of Shift Studios, Ahmed Amer of A. A. Films, Faisal Baltayour from Cinewaves, Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab of MAD Solutions — the subsidiary of which, MAD World, is handling the film’s world sales— May Odeh and Zorana Musikic of Mayana Films, Laura Nikolov of Coorigins, Abellelah Al Ahmary of Arabia Pictures, and associate producer Amjad Abu Alala.
AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY boasts a stellar cast, with Buliana Simon taking on the lead role of Aisha alongside Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza — in his first feature-length appearance — Emad Ghoniem, and Mamdouh Saleh.
Morad Mostafa is an Egyptian film director born in Cairo in 1988 who worked as an assistant director in the film industry for over ten years. He's also a graduate of Berlinale Talents, Durban Talents, Locarno Academy, and Cinéfondation Cannes, and has been named one of the Arab Stars of Tomorrow by Screen International Magazine in 2023. Last year, he was chosen as one of the top 100 influential cinema personalities in the Middle East in an annual list published by the Arab Cinema Center.
Mostafa has also participated in several international jury panels, the most recent of which was at the Cairo International Film Festival.
He is most known for writing and directing WARD'S HENNA PARTY, WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT MARIAM, KHADIGA, and I PROMISE YOU PARADISE, all of which were selected for the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival — the most important short film festival in the world. These films have been screened at over 400 festivals worldwide and have won around 150 local and international awards.
His last short film, I PROMISE YOU PARADISE, was selected for the 77th Cannes Film Festival's Critics' Week, where it won the Rail d'Or. It also participated in the Locarno International Film Festival and made it to the shortlist of the César Awards.
The film, which received a standing ovation and multiple sold-out screenings at Cannes, is now being hailed as a poignant and visually arresting debut feature that cements Mostafa’s place as one of the most vital voices in contemporary Arab cinema.
Critics have praised the film’s emotional depth, political resonance, and standout performances. Allan Hunter of ScreenDaily described it as “an involving human drama focusing on the plight of the vulnerable caught in a world that seeks to exploit them,” drawing comparisons to CITY OF GOD for its raw depiction of Cairo’s underbelly and its “feeling of a lawless frontier.” He also commended Mostafa’s ability to weave a broader political narrative into the film’s backdrop through “background news bulletins and the ongoing gang wars.”
Sara Clements of Next Best Picture lauded the film’s lead, Buliana Simon, for her “haunting performance,” noting that “she communicates so much with her eyes alone that this could be a silent film, and we would be able to understand everything.”
Clements also highlighted Mostafa’s unique directorial voice, stating, “Mostafa blends magical realism with naturalism and fantastical elements, transforming Aisha’s quiet suffering into something almost mythic,” and called the film “a quiet storm – a slow-burning, relentless elegy to the women who live in the margins and walk among us unseen.”
Additionally, Egyptian critic Ahmed Shawky wrote in Fasla about the film’s importance in the Egyptian cinematic landscape, stating that “At a time when Egyptian filmmakers are imposing the highest levels of self-censorship on themselves — fearing bans on the one hand and the guillotine of public backlash on the other — a young artist has come along to disrupt this sickly, safe balance and throw a stone into stagnant waters. A bloody, violent stone named AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY.”
The film’s success at Cannes marks a significant milestone for Egyptian cinema, being the first Egyptian film selected for Un Certain Regard since Clash in 2016. With its compelling narrative, international co-production backing, and a creative team of acclaimed talents, AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY is poised to continue its festival journey with momentum and meaning.
As the film continues to resonate with audiences and critics alike, AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY is not just a cinematic achievement — it’s a powerful statement on identity, resilience, and the invisible lives that shape our cities.
AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY follows the titular Aisha, a 26-year-old Sudanese caregiver living in a neighborhood in the heart of Cairo where she witnesses the tension between her fellow African migrants and other groups. Unwittingly, she becomes involved with an Egyptian gang that blackmails her into stealing her patients’ keys so that they can rob them.
A co-production between Egypt, France, Germany, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Sudan, the film has garnered significant support, including grants from the Doha Film Institute, Cultural Resource Fund, El Gouna Film Festival, Locarno Academy, Cannes’ Cinéfondation and La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde, and Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole. It also notably swept a top award at Red Sea Lodge, five at Venice’s Final Cut, as well as the Atlas Award at Marrakech International Film Festival.
The creative team behind AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY features several returning faces from Mostafa’s I PROMISE YOU PARADISE, including cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef, who also worked on last year’s Cannes entry THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE, which also made its way to Toronto; production designer Eman Elelaby, who earned a FIPRESCI Prize for her work on FEATHERS; costume designer Nayera Eldahshoury; sound engineer Mostafa Shaban; and editor Mohamed Mamdouh.
Produced by Sawsan Yusuf’s Bonanza Films, the film is co-produced alongside Dora Bouchoucha and Lina Shaban of Tunisia’s Nomadis Images, Sherif Fathy of Shift Studios, Ahmed Amer of A. A. Films, Faisal Baltayour from Cinewaves, Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab of MAD Solutions — the subsidiary of which, MAD World, is handling the film’s world sales— May Odeh and Zorana Musikic of Mayana Films, Laura Nikolov of Coorigins, Abellelah Al Ahmary of Arabia Pictures, and associate producer Amjad Abu Alala.
AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY boasts a stellar cast, with Buliana Simon taking on the lead role of Aisha alongside Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza — in his first feature-length appearance — Emad Ghoniem, and Mamdouh Saleh.
Morad Mostafa is an Egyptian film director born in Cairo in 1988 who worked as an assistant director in the film industry for over ten years. He's also a graduate of Berlinale Talents, Durban Talents, Locarno Academy, and Cinéfondation Cannes, and has been named one of the Arab Stars of Tomorrow by Screen International Magazine in 2023. Last year, he was chosen as one of the top 100 influential cinema personalities in the Middle East in an annual list published by the Arab Cinema Center.
Mostafa has also participated in several international jury panels, the most recent of which was at the Cairo International Film Festival.
He is most known for writing and directing WARD'S HENNA PARTY, WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT MARIAM, KHADIGA, and I PROMISE YOU PARADISE, all of which were selected for the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival — the most important short film festival in the world. These films have been screened at over 400 festivals worldwide and have won around 150 local and international awards.
His last short film, I PROMISE YOU PARADISE, was selected for the 77th Cannes Film Festival's Critics' Week, where it won the Rail d'Or. It also participated in the Locarno International Film Festival and made it to the shortlist of the César Awards.
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