Mariam Sherif, Star of the Film Snow White: “Through the Malmö Festival, Our Message Reached Europe”
The star of the Egyptian film Snow White, Mariam Sherif, which concluded the Malmö Arab Film Festival, spoke to the festival about her journey with the film and its Egyptian director Taghrid Abouelhassan.
Mariam Sherif, the leading actress in Snow White and winner of Best Actress at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2024, undoubtedly intrigued audiences eager to know more about her, especially as she introduced herself during our engaging conversation.
“I am Mariam Sherif, a pharmacy graduate from Germany. I had no connection to acting before meeting director Taghrid Abouelhassan. When she presented the idea of Snow White to me, I thought, why not use Egyptian cinema to make a difference? Surely, our message will reach the world, God willing. The idea of featuring a short-statured person in a non-magical context could shift people’s perception of short-statured individuals around the world.”
Speaking about her feelings now that the film is reaching international festivals—including its screening in Europe at the Malmö Arab Film Festival— Mariam Sherif said: “It’s truly indescribable. It’s like your message reaches people overnight. I am proud of the award I received at the Red Sea Festival, and being here in Malmö is an honor. We are truly delivering our message to the world.”
On the broader role of art and cinema in conveying human messages—particularly regarding bullying— Mariam believes that cinema is one of the best tools to reach people universally. “Everyone watches movies, and Arabic films are not only viewed by Arab audiences—they reach people across the world. If we normalize bullying or frame it as acceptable, people will see it that way. But if we say it’s unacceptable and that short-statured individuals have the same needs and emotions as everyone else, then that sends a powerful message: bullying is not okay and cannot be justified simply because someone looks different.”
Director Taghrid Abouelhassan agrees that one of the film’s key messages is to promote self-confidence among those who face bullying for any reason, emphasizing that bullying is unacceptable under any circumstance, and being different should never be a reason for ridicule.
As for how Maryam overcame the challenges of filming—especially since it was her first time in front of a camera—she credits director Taghreed Abou El-Hassan entirely. “Even the award I received is, of course, thanks to God and to Taghreed. She taught me everything and personally organized workshops for me. We’d sit together for hours as she guided me on how to give every word genuine emotion, connecting it to experiences from my childhood to bring out sincere feelings. I knew nothing about filming techniques or how scenes are shot from different angles multiple times.”
In closing, Maryam thanked the Malmö Arab Film Festival for choosing Snow White to close its 15th edition.
Snow White is a 2024 feature film written and directed by Taghrid Abouelhassan, starring Mariam Sherif, Karim Fahmy, Mohamed Mamdouh, Mohamed Gomaa, Safwa, Nihal Kamal, Amr Diesel, and Khaled Sarhan. The film had its world premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival and made its Scandinavian debut at the Malmö Arab Film Festival. It tells the story of Iman, a young Egyptian woman of short stature, who embarks on a deeply personal journey to confront societal judgment while seeking love, acceptance, and inclusion. Snow White is the first Egyptian feature film to star a short-statured woman in a bold artistic and humanistic statement. The film received development and production funding from the UNFPA in 2020 and won the International Emerging Talent Association award at the Cairo International Film Festival. Mariam Sherif was honored with the Best Actress award at the Red Sea Festival in 2024 for her powerful performance in the film.
Interview by: Mostafa Qaoud
Special thanks to the Malmö Arab Film Festival
