Baladi

At 37, Lea walks away from her high-powered advertising career in Dubai to chase a dream she buried long ago, becoming a belly dancer in Cairo. Under the guidance of Hind, a once-revered but now-forgotten dance legend, she learns that belly dancing is more than movement—it’s resilience, history, and rebellion. But when her debut performance at a famed venue goes viral, she’s met with a wave of social media shaming and objectification, forcing her to confront the deep-seated stigma surrounding the dance. Refusing to back down, Lea fights to reclaim belly dancing as an art of empowerment, launching Cairo’s first all-female belly dance competition. In the face of backlash, the competition becomes a movement—women stepping into the spotlight, dancing not for men, not for approval, but for themselves. Baladi is a bold and vibrant story of defiance, reinvention, and reclaiming the right to take up space.

Production Companies: Front Row Productions

• Genre(s): Drama, Our Films - In Development