One of the most memorable graffiti paintings in Mohamed Mahmoud street was that featuring 13-year-old Omar Salah, the sweet potato seller who was killed by the armed forces at one of the protests back in 2013. The graffiti shows Salah’s face with tears in his eyes while holding a sandwich— an attempt to immortalise his name at the spot where he usually stood selling baked sweet potatoes to protesters.
After the drawing of the graffiti, Salah was eternalised in a film named “The unknown sweet potato seller”, which will be screened at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) this year in the “Muhr Awards” section.
The film stars prominent Egyptian actor Khaled Abo El-Naga and young actor Tara Emad. It tells the story of Salah, as his death is being investigated before it is declared as a mistake by the armed forces, through “Khaled”, a normal guy who decides to investigate Salah’s death after he’s haunted by nightmares and visions of the little boy.
The animated film is directed by Ahmed Roshdy