Her dissertation, Arab Cinema: History and Cultural Identity, was published in English in 1998 by American University in Cairo Press.
[3] Further, she also worked as consultant for training initiatives La Biennale di Venezia, the al-Rawi Screenwriters Lab in Jordan, and the Dubai Film Connection.
"[8] Shafik's 1993 documentary The Lemon Tree reflects the pessimistic mood of the era immediately following the Middle East's Second Gulf War in the early 1990s.
Shafik adapted a short story by poet and former Arab League ambassador Ibrahim Shokrallah, which in turn is based on events in his own life.
The review in Variety criticized an unconvincing connection between the individual parts and quoted Shafik as saying, "This is not the film I wanted to make.