Hanna, Mary

Mary Hanna is a Canadian Egyptian filmmaker. Coming from an architectural background, Mary went onto the Otoxo Into the Industry year long program where she was trained in documentary filmmaking. Mary has a deep interest in exploring narrative storytelling through a diasporic SWANA lens. Her stories aim explore desire, propriety and cultural baggage through a comedic tone. Currently her short film “Salma!” which explores drag, belly dance and SWANA identity is being screened in festivals. Her goal is to create narratives that reflect the complex realities of her identities, and to tell stories that speak to the intersection of culture and personal experiences. She’s interested in exploring the lines of propriety and interpersonal relationships through whimsical and comedic narratives and to deepen and find grey pockets of nuanced SWANA storytelling within diasporic media.