A tour of Egyptian film archives—or lack thereof—given by the archivist of Cairo’s Cimatheque, an alternative film centre in Downtown Cairo dedicated to celebrating the diversity, beauty and power of film from Egypt and beyond.

A national project that mirrored the shifting political tides and left an erratic legacy both supported and hindered by state control.

Egyptian films have presented us with many portrayals of the dancer, but what role did she play in our collective consciousness? And how did audiences perceive her?