Libido

Youssef Alimam is a 22–year-old musician, composer, independent filmmaker, actor, scriptwriter and photographer. He graduated from the High Cinema Institute in Cairo and also has a background in sound engineering and production. Libido, his graduation project, won Youssef Chahine’s Student award for best short documentary in 2012 and the Rotary Award for Best Film on Peace in 2013.

Why did you decide to tackle the topic of sexual frustration?

This is something that is on everybody’s mind, and without a doubt curiosity increases when a subject is taboo. I just felt that we needed to cross that bridge. I asked myself “why is this so hard to talk about?” It started as a question and then it developed into the concept you see in the movie. Also, as a film student, this was a graduation project for me so I wanted to do something that can help people and not just put footage together to get a grade.

Despite its humorous approach, Libido asks very serious questions and provides a lot of information. Was it part of your strategy to make people laugh and simultaneously engage with an important and real issue?

Comedy is my favourite film genre. I wanted to make this documentary fun for anybody who watched it, and eliminate any possibility of it being boring for viewers, especially teenagers. At the same time, I wanted to really give people useful scientific information that they might not know about.

What do you find problematic about Egyptian perspectives on and approaches to sex?

Sexual ignorance in general is an issue, and that it’s causing more harm than good. Sex education is not immoral, and it affects the behaviour of our society whether we deny it or not. It’s essential, regardless of whether or not people choose to have premarital sex. That is not the main issue. If they are not properly educated, they might harm themselves and not even know it. So, I can only hope to see this movie make people want to learn about the biology behind sex, be aware of the risks unprotected sex can cause and not ignore it as a topic until they get married. The first step to being at ease concerning one’s sex life after marriage is to know that it is your right to be sexually educated. It is not immoral. Engaging in any sexual act without proper education leads to bigger problems like unwanted pregnancies and STDs.