Feature Documentry
TOTAL BUDGET
US $70,000
CONFIRMED FINANCING
US $10,000
Primary Contact
mark@figleafstudios.com
A couple struggles to pay off a debt while trying to imagine ways out of their tragic living situation.
(Y) is addicted to drugs and is married to (A), a woman with a strong personality who claims she has no luck in life. (Y) considers that they both are ‘blood siblings’ due to their HIV-positive status. They live in Alexandria, facing a dramatic financial situation. With no way out, they decide to ask the bank for a loan. Quickly, the money’s gone, and the only thing left is a larger debt and a tuk-tuk, with which (Y) makes very little money. (A) often reacts violently to (Y)'s compulsive behavior by asking him to leave the house. But one way or the other, he always returns. This observational film focuses on the life of a couple and their struggles in a society that does not have a place for them.
Due to several failed relationships, the concepts of love and long-term marital commitment have become very dubious and unclear to me. As a result, when I got closer to (Y) and (A), I started contemplating the foundation of their love. Why did they stay together in a relationship that was based on the mere biology of a disease that has psychological and socio-political consequences? What we simply call a romantic relationship can not be fulfilled unless there are more complicated elements involved. That’s why the story between (Y) and (A) became interesting to me. They have overcome hardships and got used to living with them. They accept their fate in different ways, and this can also be the source of a bond between two people.
On a different note, the neighborhood where (Y) and (A) live is very similar to El Agamy, the humble area where I grew up. My mother was also born and raised in their neighborhood. This did not only get me closer to them, but it also helped me identify with their feelings on many occasions. I realize how hard it is to live in a humble neighborhood, surrounded by a very particular social cosmos. It is even harder when you are different and unable to be open with your neighbors, especially regarding a disease that represents a huge stigma and can even be life-threatening, in a social stratum that is financially vulnerable and rarely has the support of solid social programs.
I have always been searching for a director who has the courage to break norms and aim to discuss the unspoken about the Egyptian society. Someone who could dig into the socio-political layers and meet with the lower classes without looking from above.
That’s why I was amazed when I first met Muhammad as a film fellow participating in the Cinedelta program, which I founded with my colleagues in Alexandria.
Muhammad Salah and I worked together on his first film, Unaired Interview. That was how we realized that we shared similar motivations, intentions, political views, cinematic thinking, and aesthetic approaches. We were like comrades, and that quickly shaped our producer-director dynamic in a very specific way.
Our first collaboration was a step forward in our cinematic journey, and it was well received by the film industry at the Berlinale Forum Expanded and Fidadoc Agadir, in addition to a special mention at the Gabes Cinema Fen in Tunisia.
I met (Y) and (A) 3 years ago while I was doing a commission with UNAIDS, and we became friends. We started visiting each other’s homes and meeting in Kasr el Shouk coffee shop on the Alexandria Cornish frequently. Last year, Muhammad Salah became our companion, and, organically, in one of our gatherings, the four of us decided that we need to do this film. Later on, Aya and Rodrigo joined us as producers, and I am happy to confirm that their complementary qualities will add a lot to this project.
Mark Lotfy
2020: I Am Afraid to Forget Your Face
2020: Souad
2019: One Night Stand
2019: Unaired Interview
2018: Dream Away
2017: I Have a Picture
2017: One Plus One Makes a Pharaoh's
Chocolate Cake
2016: A Chance for Peace
2016: Piece of Wood
2016: The Visit
2016: Expired
2014: The Long March
2013: Mice Room
2012: Do as You Said
2009: You Bet?
Aya Dowara
2020: Captains of Za’atari
2020: Cross Roads (TV Series)
2018: Gun Shot
2017: Sheikh Jackson
Rodrigo Brum
2020: Captains of Za’atari