<p><strong>By:</strong> Yomna Walid</p>
<p>Nesma has officially been selected to participate in the prestigious Hollywood Arab Film Festival. The moving short follows 12-year-old Nesma, who pretends to be Olfat convincing everyone around her that Olfat is still alive in a desperate attempt to avoid returning to the shelter.</p>
<p>Nile FM interviewed the talented debut director Rahaff Ahmed, who opened up about the emotional roots of her first film, the challenges of bringing it to life, and what this milestone means for her career.</p>
<p><strong>How did you feel when you first found out that your short film, Nesma, had been officially selected for the Hollywood Arab Film Festival?</strong></p>
<p>I was overwhelmed with emotion. Nesma is my first short film and also my graduation project, so hearing that it got into an international festival like the Hollywood Arab Film Festival was surreal. I didn&rsquo;t expect it, it felt like a reward after months of effort, uncertainty, and pouring so much of myself into the film.</p>
<p><strong>What does this milestone mean to you personally and professionally, especially as your first short film?</strong></p>
<p>Personally, it means the world. Nesma is a very intimate story for me, rooted in real emotions I&rsquo;ve been dealing with. So seeing it reach others on such a scale is deeply moving. Professionally, it&rsquo;s a big step forward. As someone just starting out, I honestly didn&rsquo;t expect the film to make it into a festival like this, but it did, and that gave me the motivation to keep going and continue developing the stories I want to tell.</p>
<p><strong>Can you walk us through the journey of creating Nesma&mdash;what inspired the story, and what message did you hope to convey?</strong></p>
<p>The story was born out of personal grief. Two years ago, I lost my grandmother shortly after filming a documentary about her. That loss stayed with me. I found myself avoiding it and at the same time being consumed by it. Nesma is my attempt to give shape to that feeling of being caught between denial and pain. Like me, Nesma is just a child trying to navigate a harsh reality she didn&rsquo;t choose. I wanted to explore what it means to survive emotionally in a world that doesn&rsquo;t pause for your grief.</p>
<p><strong>What were the biggest challenges you faced during the making of the film?</strong></p>
<p>Directing a child actor was both the biggest challenge and a beautiful part of the process. Habiba, who played Nesma, is incredibly smart and intuitive, but as a child, she needed a lot of emotional guidance. Working with Meriam Altahawy, Habiba&rsquo;s acting coach, was a game-changer. She played a key role in helping Habiba tap into the character&rsquo;s emotions in an organic way. Balancing the emotional depth of the story with a young performer required patience and a lot of trust.</p>
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<p><strong>You&rsquo;ve spoken about being grateful to those who supported you&mdash;was there someone in particular whose belief in Nesma made a lasting impact?</strong></p>
<p>Definitely. I owe so much to Alia Ibrahim, who developed the story with me and wrote the script. She understood my emotional starting point and helped translate it into a powerful narrative. I&rsquo;m also grateful to Ali El Arabi (Producer) and Rodrigo Brum (Project Supervisor) for their support and belief in the project from the beginning.</p>
<p><strong>How do you see this achievement shaping your next steps as a filmmaker? Are there new projects you&rsquo;re working on or thinking about?</strong></p>
<p>This recognition has definitely given me more motivation to keep going. Right now, I&rsquo;m working on a new short film called Heat. It was selected for Cinephilia&rsquo;s Workroom in January 2025. I&rsquo;m currently in the writing phase, and the story is much more intimate and emotionally raw.</p>
<p><strong>What do you hope international audiences will take away from Nesma, especially now that it's being screened at a global festival?</strong></p>
<p>I hope they leave thinking about the reality of how we often don&rsquo;t process grief properly. Life keeps moving forward, even when you feel completely stuck or shattered. When a child experiences something like that, it becomes even more complicated and isolating. Nesma is a 12-year-old girl doing everything she can to hold on to the little safety she has left. The story isn&rsquo;t about solving grief; it&rsquo;s about what happens when you&rsquo;re forced to carry it too soon, and how survival sometimes looks like pretending everything&rsquo;s okay when it&rsquo;s not.</p>
<p>&nbsp;From personal loss to international acclaim, Rahaff Ahmed&rsquo;s cinematic voice has struck a universal chord. If Nesma is any indication, her journey as a filmmaker is only just beginning.</p>

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