Presentation of the Ethnographic Film "Transparent masks"

The film is part of Douzi’s Master’s research in Sociology and Anthropology at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and delves into the shifting dynamics of professional mourning practices in Cairo.

The study began with a focus on how professional mourners in Cairo perform the art of "El-Adeed." However, fieldwork transformed this inquiry, revealing a profession on the brink of extinction. Through intermediaries, Douzi discovered a "market" for professional mourners, leading to a role not just as a researcher but as an active participant in shaping the research community. By purchasing access to performers, the researcher became a co-producer of the ethnographic reality.

The film examines the interplay between reality and hyper-reality, inspired by Jean Baudrillard's concept. It explores the paradox of "disconnection"—how the profession remains culturally present yet simultaneously vanishes. This disconnection reflects the societal transition from traditional to modern structures in Cairo, where a proliferation of "masks" emerges—a cycle of destruction and reconstruction of realities. These masks sustain a hyper-reality, producing emotional and social values that expose hidden structures of societal organization.

"Transparent Masks" highlights how the spectacle of hyper-mourners dramatizes the disappearance of a once-prevalent profession while reconstructing it as a symbolic performance. This challenges conventional ethnographic approaches, emphasizing the need to adapt tools and frameworks to analyze this hyper-reality. The film not only captures the contradictions of transitional societies but also delves into the emotional and social dynamics underpinning these performative acts.

Through "Transparent Masks," Douzi offers a visual exploration of the spectacle of loss and transformation, revealing the hidden realities and contradictions in Cairo’s evolving social fabric.