Filmmaker's Family Saga Captivates Audiences at Tallinn Film Festival

In November 2025, Egyptian-Austrian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky made a triumphant return to the international film circuit with the world premiere of his latest work, "The Stories," at the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia.

Shawky, known for his acclaimed past films like the 2018 Oscar submission "Yommedine," has developed a reputation for crafting deeply personal stories that resonate with audiences. "The Stories" is no exception, as it cinematically imagines the tale of Shawky's own parents - his father, who grew up in Egypt, and his mother, who hails from Austria.

The film follows the couple's lives from the 1960s to the 1980s, blending archival footage with acted scenes to depict their long-distance friendship, which blossomed into a cross-cultural romance despite the suspicions of the father's relatives. As the story unfolds, it also explores the father's dreams of becoming a pianist, and the couple's shared determination to see him achieve his goal.

During the post-screening Q&A, Shawky welcomed his parents to the stage, revealing that the film is based on the true story of how they met as international pen pals. The director's mother shared that while Shawky had told them the film would feature "snippets" about their lives, the final product was a much more extensive tribute to their story and the "simple people" who inspired it.