CAIRO: As evidenced by the recent success of the Cairo International Film Festival, Arab filmmakers and directors are nothing to be scoffed at.
Young Egyptian filmmaker Karim Fanous makes his directorial debut with his short film ‘Alla Fein (Where To?),which is scheduled to hit international film festivals in January 2006.
“I think the cinema gives you great insight on a certain culture and it’s that type of filmmaking that I want to be doing. I’m almost as interested in sociology; I really hope to be able to explore the social problems in our society and give my take on them. [I’m] also fascinated with Cairo,what makes it run, etc, and would really [like] to be able to capture it on film to share with the rest of the world. I’m very inspired by Max Rodenbeck’s book, Cairo the City Victorious, which I quoted in my film. Twenty-five-year-old Fanous graduated from the American University in Cairo in 2002 with a degree in economics, but never practiced within his chosen field of studies.”After graduating I decided that economics wasn’t my thing, and film is the way to go, he said.
Subsequent to a summer internship held at Youssef Shaheen’s production company, he received a call from prominent director Marianne Khoury, who offered him a fulltime job. He began assisting in the production of a 12-part documentary series about women who have revolutionized the Arab world; he specifically worked on one focusing particularly on music in Egypt, and which talked at great length on Om Kalthoum. He worked alongside director Mostafa El Hasnaoui as an assistant director.
“While working on the documentary that took nine months, I figured I needed more theoretical background, so I went to New York to study filmmaking more in depth, said Fanous. He did a one year program at the New York Film Academy, in which he studied the bases of cinematography. During his second semester, he put together his thesis film, which has been accepted into two major film festivals.
The film, ‘Alla Fein, tells the story of two Egyptian men who have immigrated to the U.S.Aly, the cab driver who moved 15 years ago, has a constant lingering dream of returning home.The second is Husayn, a younger man who has just landed in New York to pursue the American dream. Most of the film is focused on the dialogue between the two men while they are in the taxi during the ride from the airport.
“The film evokes the subtle question of patriotism versus globalization. The film doesn’t provide an answer, but rather tries to explore these pull and push forces, through the two main characters in a “slice of life tone, said Fanous.
The reason behind his choosing that topic in particular is that most everyone can relate to it.While researching the topic, Fanous talked to many immigrants in New York – whether from Trinidad, India or Egypt – who all gave the same answers; they all felt a lack of belonging in the U.S. as well as in their own country.
On a personal level, Fanous understands the concept well, as he grew up in a Western-oriented society in Egypt.And although he always felt that living abroad would make him happier, he realized that “the grass is always greener on the other side. Which, in fact, is what is being said in the film through Aly’s character, who doesn’t feel 100 percent satisfied at home or abroad and “he can’t fully relate to either of the cities he is living in, said Fanous.
Fanous will be flying to Utah to attend the Slamdance Film Festival on Jan 17.The festival is an ideal locale to promote his film and advance his career, as it has done to such notable Slamdance alumni as Christopher Nolan of Memento and Marc Foster of Monster’s Ball. He will then fly to The Netherlands for the Rotterdam International Film Festival on Jan. 25.
While at the festival, Fanous hopes to acquire funding for a feature film he has in mind.
‘Alla Fein will be screened at the Cairo Opera House and the American University in Cairo soon.The exact screening date is yet to be determined.
Stay tuned to The Daily Star Egypt’s agenda for updates.
