Khaled El-Hagar’s film Haram El-Gasad (Sins of the Flesh) won best actress and the jury’s special award at Portugal's Fantasporto film festival, which ran from 24 February to 4 March.

Nahed El-Sebai took home best actress for her portrayal of Fatma, a woman torn between tradition and rebellion, while El-Hagar won the Directors Week Jury’s Special Award.

A story of betrayal, oppression and murder, Haram El-Gasad speaks to the events of Egypt's 2011 revolution. The revolution barely affects the film’s four main characters, who live on a farm in rural Egypt. Yet, events in that space parallel the turmoil seizing the country.

El-Hagar, whose body of work has won multiple awards, often uses his work to tackle sensitive subjects and break taboos on issues like sex or politics. Some of his well-known works include Room to Rent, Hob El-Banat (Girls' Love) and El-Shoq (Lust).

His films have screened at 37 festivals and received 27 national and international film awards.

One of the world's 25 leading festivals according to Variety magazine, Fantasporto was founded in 1981. The programme draws a wide range of audiences, genres, and film submissions annually

Source: Ahram online