Khaberni - Zeina Ashraf Abdel Baqi, daughter of the artist Ashraf Abdel Baqi, stands out as a unique directing voice in the Egyptian scene. Abdel Baqi sees in her father’s title a doubled responsibility to prove that talent is shaped by patience and knowledge and not inherited.
Since her beginnings in the world of cinema, Zeina has been drawn to the power of visuals in expressing the unspoken, and to the moment capable of encapsulating a complete story. Standing behind the camera in her first directorial experience with the series "The Son of an Old Girl," she was fully aware of what she sought to present.
Zeina's goal with the series "The Son of an Old Girl" was not only to present a social work but to tell a touching human story.
In her conversation with "Arabiya.net" and "Alhadath.net," Zeina discussed the series's details, how she received the idea, and her work on it, in addition to the behind-the-scenes work with her father, the artist Ashraf Abdel Baqi.
The young director Zeina Ashraf Abdel Baqi explained that the series "The Son of an Old Girl" represents an exceptional milestone in her artistic career, combining her nostalgia for simplicity and her passion for experimentation.
She explained that the work emerged from an idea through which she aimed to explore the relationship between generations and the changes in values and concepts that occur. She emphasized that the series discusses in summary "how the young see the old and how the old see them, and what ultimately brings them together despite the distance," noting that she loved the script upon reading it.
She added that the filming was done in a family atmosphere, which gave the experience a special human touch. She noted that having her father, the artist Ashraf Abdel Baqi, as part of the work team was a "factor of reassurance, not authority," and that he gave her complete space to express her vision without interference.
She pointed out that collaborating with Leila Ahmed Zaher added importance to the series, due to her artistic intelligence and ability to shift between emotion and innocence in a single scene. She explained that she chose her for her natural presence.
Zeina emphasized her care to include a dose of human comedy in the series that provokes laughter without losing empathy with the characters. She clarified that the goal was not just to amuse but to make the viewer feel engaged with the story.
At the end of her talk, the young director confirmed that what matters to her at this stage is not spreading or competing but the honesty in her choices, for she does not seek fame as much as she seeks for people to love the story.
