“The film is inspired by my name (it's Rebecca in English and Refqa in Arabic – meaning good company) and how I’ve never felt attached to it because of how rare it is in Egypt and how stereotypical it is in the US,” says Coptic-Egyptian filmmaker, director and artist, bex, of her meditative short film. “Esmeha, which means ‘her name’, is based on the concept of a name, the first thing people usually ask you, and how the main character identifies with hers. I started to think about how a name is usually connected to an origin and how it's something you try to live up to even if you don't fully understand the meaning.”

Raised in New Jersey and based in New York, this young talent has worked with clients including Spotify, Nike and Parsons New School as well as artists such as Elyanna, REMA, YKB and Felukah, while finding herself in front of the camera for Gucci. “I make work that transcends distinction between photo, video, design, animation and collage,” she explains. “Visuals are everything to me and sound is what brings a story together in order to make our voice heard. Powerful women are making noise everywhere and that's something big I advocate for.”

Having embraced photography as a creative outlet during high school, she explored a variety of mediums, all of which have led to the founding of her creative and production company, Noor Studios. “Noor means ‘light’ in Arabic and I think of a light that’s limitless, endless and that paves a path for others. My mission is to represent and give opportunity by bridging North Africa and the diaspora because there's so much to do. I'm super thankful and grateful to break norms and show others, especially other young Egyptian girls, that you can be anything as long as you have willpower, drive and self-discipline. And shout out to [Noor Studios partner] Yasmeen Afifi because that girl is like my backbone in this.”

Travelling to Cairo to film this poetic piece, bex wanted to reflect the dreamy atmosphere in the soundtrack and opted for Hamid El Shaeri's ‘Ayonha’. “I used a slower reverb version to make it feel more blissful. It’s such a euphoric yet mysterious song on which Hamid talks about a girl that he fell in love with.” Taking in the golden tones of the city, bex captures friends from Egypt and neighbouring Sudan laughing and exploring the urban landscape. Revealing the woman’s name to be ‘Emman’ which means faith, the film muses on the beauty of surrendering to belief. “It’s about believing in something without fully understanding, seeing or hearing it,” bex reflects. “The film contradicts, yet confirms the meaning of her given name without ever answering the question that opens the film. It’s bigger than her name – it’s reflection of her belief in her people, in love, by God and for her home country.”