Cynthia Khalifa: They bullied me because I am an Arab woman!

Muhammad Ahmad wrote in Al Arabiya:

The dream is always her friend, she always dreams because she has many ingredients that help her to be a comprehensive actress, she sings and dances in addition to acting not only in Arabic but in other languages ​​as well.

Despite the beginning of her dream of being an actress in international business, whether in Hollywood or abroad, she was also seeking to work in the Hollywood of the East as one of her dreams, which she began attempts to achieve nearly two years ago.

It is the Lebanese Cynthia Khalifa, who presents the role of “Mahitab”, the “yoga” instructor, who is a fun and gentle character in the series “Dima Amer”, which was shown during the Ramadan season, following she presented evil dramatic roles last year in the series “Civil War” with Yousra, and “Against Al Kasr” With Nelly Karim .. So she confirmed in her interview with “Al Arabiya.net” that when she was offered this role, it was a lifeline to reduce the dose of evil that she presented last year.

A different work and a new role… What encouraged you to work in the series “Dima Amer”?

I liked the role as soon as I was nominated for the job, because it was a different quality that I had not presented before, and the truth is the challenge and change encouraged me to participate in the series “Dayma Amer” with the character “Mahitab”, the “Yoga School”, to prove to everyone my ability to embody any character or role offered to me, especially since The series has a comedic character. I had hoped to present this type of work, especially as it carries many humanitarian issues and messages, including bullying, vitiligo and class discrimination, students with determination and their integration into society and its assistance.

Were there any special preparations for the character?

I was surprised during the preparation for the character that it is very difficult, I needed to go back to school days, but I discovered a great change in schools compared to the period I spent in my school.. I was looking for the life of teachers inside Egyptian schools, especially since I do not have children until I get to know the life of teachers within the walls The schools they are in, and at the same time my school was in Beirut.

As for yoga, I have had previous experiences with it, in addition to having sat down with a group of yoga teachers in international schools to learn regarding the way they deal with students and how to treat what they suffer from through the practice of yoga. I had not studied it before, and there was also a coach with us in photography who taught us the movements we saw on the screen, I did not expect the students to interact with me in that way, and the fact that preparing for the character was fun.

Is there a similarity between your real personality and Mahitab?

Indeed, she is closer to my personality and resembles my soul in reality, unlike my previous roles, and this is what made me this season as close to the audience as it reached me. I am trying to diversify my roles and my way of embodying any role, no matter how difficult or simple it is. The character is written in a delicious way, and I tried to show it in a more light shade, as she is a girl who loves animals, is kind and loves laughter and fun, and the truth was the reactions were wonderful, and I also received many messages from students who were bullied in school, whether from students or teachers with them, and I grew up The problem that we face in schools and not only in Egypt is bullying.

Bullying and vitiligo are two problems that you had a role in presenting in your work, so how did you find filming that scene?

I discovered that any scene with a high feeling is often filmed once “One Shot” and I was very affected by this scene. I ask her regarding Vitiligo, but I became attached to her and was affected by the scenes between us, and I know that there are those who fear dealing with Vitiligo patients for fear of transmission of infection, but this disease is not contagious. in hiding it, which is harmful on a psychological level.

Have you been bullied before?

I was bullied, but not at school. I was old and working in France. I was bullied there, as an Arab woman in the midst of a group of foreigners. When I traveled to France to participate in a television program that required us to sit for a long time in the forest, I felt what the word bullying means, even though I was old. This happened regarding 4 years ago, and it affected me. They bullied me because I am an Arab woman, and I was affected following the end of the program in a way I did not imagine, so what regarding if a child was exposed to the same thing at a young age, it would be very harmful to his personality.

How were the scenes of the work, especially since many scenes of it needed to travel in different places?

Traveling was tiring because the number of people present was large, especially the students who were with us, but the comic spirit that appeared on the screen was present behind the scenes of the filming and was very dominant, as it was a 5-month adventure in which we were very pleased.

And how did you find working with Mustafa Shaaban, Lebleba, Magdy Al-Hawari and the rest of the work team?

Mostafa Shaaban is a pure comedian, not only on the screen, but in life all the time, as he has a cheerful spirit.” As for Professor Lebleba, she resembles a small child in her features and manner, and her humorous spirit and jokes were very beautiful behind the scenes, while director Magdy El Hawary made a great effort to come out This work was done in this special way, and he used the experiences of many of his children’s school teachers in many matters, and this facilitated a lot for us in work events.

Was the Egyptian dialect an obstacle to you?

Last year I suffered greatly from this matter and I had a great challenge in overcoming this problem, and when I received two series, I brought a teacher who recorded my words in all scenes of the two series, and I listened to him for four days everywhere from the beginning of the day to the end, in addition to my listening to music and songs Egyptian as well as films, and from here I was able to master the Egyptian dialect, in addition to the two years I spent here, and my dealings with my Egyptian friends.

What regarding your newness in the cinema?

It is an American movie called “Cecilia’s Vacation”, and it is filmed in Italy, and in it I played the role of a Lebanese girl escaping from the circumstances of the war and revolution surrounding her and her hobby is singing, but she had no money to enter the institute and study music, so she fled to Cecilia and worked there as a waitress in a restaurant. . I hope to see it in Arab festivals, and I am trying to have it shown in a major Egyptian festival and this is my goal. I dream of walking on the red carpet of a major Egyptian festival as a heroine for one of the films participating in the festival and not just as a guest.