COSMO ME spoke exclusively to Egyptian actress Sarrah Abdelrahman at the 2020 Cairo Film Festival and here is everything she had to say about being in the film industry…
Cosmo ME: Do you feel like social media affects your mental health?
Sarrah: I take a lot of breaks from social media; I remove the apps from my phone. It can be very tough. I always make sure that my phone is off during the first few hours of the day and the last few hours of the day. Social media is filled with uncurated content that I don’t know what will trigger me. I used to check my phone first thing in the morning until I realized how much it affected my day without realizing it. Social media makes you feel like you are not present, you’re jumping from one app to the other.
C: How do you handle criticism?
S: I don’t have a problem with criticism and I’ve realized that whenever I’ve been affected by criticism it is because it is something I am already aware of. Being in the public you must accept that you are prone to criticism and I have made a promise to myself to not let it faze me.
C: How has fame affected your personal life?
S: I saw the most growth in my career in 2017 when I did Sabe’ Gar, it was almost instant. It was the kind of project which was groundbreaking on many levels. It sort of changed the industry in many ways because the off-season shows were never seen that much but that show broke that.
I have changed after being in the industry. I have become much more closed off. I used to be a social butterfly but somehow that did affect my relationships. Now I don’t go out as much. My introverted side is in need all the time and I’m home most of the time. This is a small price I must pay. There is so much privilege that comes with being a celebrity and this is a small part which affects me but not as much. Success can be scary as it makes you calculate every small step which can be harmful. There was this pressure on me to figure out what I wanted to do next. And this paralyzed me.
C: Do you feel a difference working with female vs male directors?
S: Women are definitely a lot more empathetic and because I’m a woman, I connect a lot more with other women. There is something very special about working with female directors and for some reason I’m always at my best when I do.
Due to the lack of equal opportunities given to women, they must do so much more work. They come out a lot more informed, having studied many things and it is an honor to work with female directors.
A male director can be okay or good but a female director has to go through so much to prove herself.
C: Do you feel like you have lost people after being in the industry?
S: Losing people naturally happens because some people get star struck, even in my family. Their relationship is not the same at all. This changes the dynamic of the relationship. My relationship with some have changed whereas my relationship with others have solidified. I can depend on my family and friends a lot more. Things have definitely changed; some people have left and some have come in.
I’m in the beginning of my career when people around me are happy for me but I’m aware that if I do become more successful in my career, it may not always be the case.