DUBAI: Ramadan is a big month for filmmakers in the Arab world, where writers, directors and actors race to present their television series during the holy month. In a crowded television landscape, one of this Ramadan’s most popular shows is Egyptian-Russian actress Nelly Karim’s series “Faten Amal Harby.” The show, available to stream on Shahid and Watch It, stars Sherif Salama, Mohammed Al-Sharnouby, Hala Sedqy, Khaled Sarhan, Mohamed Tharwat and Fadya Abdel Ghany. Written by journalist and author Ibrahim Eissa and directed by filmmaker Mohamed Al-Adl, the series follows a divorced mother, Faten Amal Harby (played by Karim), who is involved in a conflict with her abusive former husband, Seif El-Dandarawy (played by Salama), and her mother-in-law (Abdel Ghany) over custody of her two daughters and her rights after divorce. She is drawn into a struggle to change the personal status law in Egypt after her former partner uses various tricks to deny her rights. The show highlights stories of women who experience verbal and physical abuse in their relationships in modern Egypt. Karim’s acting, which is supported by her makeup-free face, loose-fitting clothing and humble home, reflects the reality of a single working mother trying to provide for her daughters. Despite her suffering, the script shows the main character trying to hold onto hope and smile through her pain. The mother goes out of her way to spend quality time with her daughters, and devotes every penny she has to teach them in international schools and take them to sports practice. Salama also plays his character skilfully, portraying a man trying to make his former partner regret her decision to divorce. Divorce is not always a celebration of freedom, as multiple series in the Arab world show, but comes with challenges caused not only by the former husband, but also by society as a whole. “Faten Amal Harby” will challenge legal institutions in Egypt to rethink the personal status law. Is it finally time to change it?