Khaled Khella shows hidden strugglesCEFR A2
10 Jul 2025
Adapted from Fatma Al-Zahraa Badawy, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Lisa Marie Theck, Unsplash
Khaled Khella is an independent Egyptian filmmaker. He was born in 1992 in Helwan, south of Cairo. He began by making videos for social media and later turned to short films.
His films explore desire, power and everyday survival in urban life. A three‑minute short, "Dunya wa Akhira" ("Life and the Afterlife"), gave him international attention and was shown at festivals in several countries.
In 2017 he made "Egyptian Misery" using stories from a Facebook page. He dramatized four of thirty stories and cast mostly non‑professional actors. Audiences had mixed reactions, and he faces practical problems like getting permits and persuading teams to work without pay.
Difficult words
- filmmaker — person who makes movies or videos
- explore — look into a subject or idea
- dramatize — change a story into a play or filmdramatized
- permit — official paper that allows somethingpermits
- persuade — make someone agree or do somethingpersuading
- festival — public event with films, music or artfestivals
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Have you ever watched a short film at a festival or online? What did you like?
- Why do you think he used mostly non-professional actors?
- Would you start by making videos for social media before making films? Why or why not?
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