VIENNA, 15 December 2025 – Directed by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, The Brink of Dreams, is a coming-of-age documentary following a group of Coptic girls in a conservative village in southern Egypt who challenge patriarchal norms by forming an all-female street theatre troupe. The film explores women’s rights, empowerment , girls’ education, and early marriage through the girls’ everyday lives and artistic aspirations. Tracing their journey from childhood to womanhood, the documentary shows how they navigate family pressure and social constraints, using street performance as an act of resistance and a claim to self-expression and equality.
Following the screening, a panel discussion with experts moderated by Sonja Wintersberger, Officer-in-Charge of UNIS Vienna, took place.
Eva Jacquemard, Lead Corporate Relations and Fundraising at UN Women Austria, highlighted how the film translates abstract concepts like gender equality into lived realities, noting that “this is where art and storytelling come in to translate them to people [so] we can connect on an emotional level”. She added that backlash, faced by the girls during performances, can signal progress when boundaries are challenged.
Visual Artist and Illustrator Toqa Eissa emphasized the long-term impact of the girls’ courage in inspiring younger girls. “I think change always comes generationally, so it’s very important to just continue, and it happens eventually,” she said. She also highlighted structural barriers to women’s self-expression, pointing to family control and successive authority figures - from fathers to husbands - that often restrict autonomy.
Anna Manzano, Co-Lead Community and Education at Burgtheater Wien, reflected on the responsibility of cultural institutions, saying that “big institutions can shift what stories are told, give importance to themes, give frames for themes, and hold stories”. She stressed the empowering potential of participatory theatre, which allows stories to be shared, provides spaces where participants are heard without shame, and fosters confidence through collective engagement.
All panelists emphasized the importance of art and storytelling in promoting empowerment and gender equality, challenging societal norms, and inspiring social change.
