Brief
Director Muhammad Mustapha discusses masculinity ahead of El Gouna premiere
The filmmaker says the film grew from his own curiosity and a three‑year relationship with Cairo bodybuilders and bouncers.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Egyptian director Muhammad Mustapha spoke to Variety ahead of the world premiere of his documentary “Big Boys Don’t Cry” at the Feature Documentary Competition of the El Gouna Film Festival.
What happened
The film follows a group of Cairo bodybuilders and nightclub bouncers, exploring how they perform masculinity in different settings. Mustapha began the project in 2016 as an anthropological study, spending three years developing relationships with the men before filming.
What the reports add
Mustapha describes himself as a “feminist” and “intellectual” who is drawn to “hyper‑masculine performance,” noting that his own upbringing in a local Cairo neighbourhood gave him a reference point for masculine codes. He says the men’s behavior shifts between the gym, the pub, family life and moments of conflict, and that the documentary’s emotional core emerged in the edit as his friendship with a central figure, Abdallah, rather than as a purely thematic piece.
What was said
“I’m a feminist. I’m intellectual. I find myself very drawn to this hyper‑masculine performance,” Mustapha told Variety.
“I wouldn’t say I made this film alone. I would say I made it with the characters. We made it together,” he added.
“I earned their trust. It was not given to me,” he said of the collaborative process.
How it came about
Mustapha’s curiosity about the men’s world grew from his own experience as a “nerd” in school, where he felt less masculine, to dental school, where the same traits could be perceived as loud or vulgar. Over the three‑year period, the participants were allowed to request removal of material, reinforcing the collaborative nature of the documentary.
Key facts
- “Big Boys Don’t Cry” premiered at the El Gouna Film Festival’s Feature Documentary Competition. (variety.com)
- Muhammad Mustapha began the project in 2016 and spent three years developing relationships before filming. (variety.com)
- The documentary follows Cairo bodybuilders and nightclub bouncers to examine masculinity. (variety.com)
- Mustapha describes himself as a feminist and intellectual drawn to hyper‑masculine performance. (variety.com)
- The film’s emotional core emerged from Mustapha’s friendship with participant Abdallah during editing. (variety.com)
Sources
- [1] variety.com — originally reported as “‘Big Boys Don’t Cry’ Director Muhammad Mustapha Talks Masculinity Ahead of El Gouna Premiere: ‘The Only Emotion Men Are Allowed to Express Is Anger’”
