Today (February 7) NOWNESS releases a new short film, Ask the Girls in Cairo, directed by JP Micallef.

The film follows a group of young, female skateboarders, drifters and motorbike riders, aged between 13 and 22, as they careen around the Egyptian capital. The girls are resilient in the face of a traditional, religious and patriarchal society which seeks to prevent them from pursuing their passions; the film follows the group as they overcome the barriers facing them, finding freedom and community in the process.

After meeting Cairo-based Moroccan skateboarder Zineb Koutten via her photography, Micallef reached out to friends and other girls connected by the Cairo scene and assembled a wholly Egyptian cast and crew to work on the project. While shooting on location over the course of two days, the team witnessed firsthand the abuse the girls regularly face simply for daring to defy gender norms.

“This wasn’t about making a gritty documentary – what I hoped to capture was the girls’ unflinching optimism and positivity,” says Micallef. “As word spread, more girls reached out wanting to be a part of it. One of them had a sister that rides motorbikes, then another had a friend who drifts cars, so that brought Salma on board. Through her we heard about Maya who is the young drifter driving in the film – she’s 13! It developed a life of its own.”

Ask the Girls in Cairo celebrates the optimism and joy of this vibrant community of young women. Watch the film below.