I'll Tell You A Secret...

- Gina Johnson

A first-time parent at just 18 and now the mother of four, the former ballerina-turned-actress has multiple film and television roles to her credit, including this year’s hugely popular Ramadan series Ikhtefaa’.

Nelly is defined by the type of success that she has had to fight for. And she takes none of it for granted. As she arrived in Venice for the recent 2018 Venice Film Festival, where she has been invited to sit on the jury for the past two years and is a proud ambassador for luxury brand Jaeger-LeCoultre, her views on the art of story-telling represent the cultural perspective of someone who has witnessed a lifetime of political turmoil and persecution around her.

A mesmerising mix of both her Russian and Egyptian heritage, Nelly is renowned for taking on feisty female characters that challenge stereotypes and break barriers, cultivating a role model status for female success in the Arab world.

She shares some life advice with Emirates Woman, including some of the little-known secrets of her success.

How did you become aligned with the Venice Film Festival and what does your role as a juror involve?