El Gouna 2023 – plunged into the cinematic universe of Egyptian director Marwan Hamed: return to his career and his anecdotes.
The 6th edition of the El Gouna Film Festival (GFF), which takes place from December 14 to 21, 2023, was marked by an exceptional opening ceremony, rewarding the Egyptian director Marwan Hamed of a prestigious honorary prize for his whole career. By following this recognition, a captivating master’s class was organized, offering moviegoers a unique opportunity to explore the filmmaker’s universe and dive behind the scenes of his prolific career.
Who is Marwan Hamed?
Marwan Hamed, an eminent figure of Egyptian cinema, emerged as one of the most talented and respected directors of his generation. Graduated from the Institut Higher Cinema in 1999, he started his journey with the captivating short film Lilly (2001) Adapted from a short story by Yusuf Idris. This film won prestigious awards, announcing the exceptional talent of Hamed.
In 2006, he directed his first feature film, The Yacoubian buildingan adaptation of Alaa Al Aswany’s bestseller. This film with international success, conquered the public and criticism, marking the beginning of a diversified filmography which explores different genres, from the psychological drama to action and mystery.
Marwan Hamed continued to mark the film industry with successes such as The blue elephant (2014), Ibrahim Labyad (2009), El-Asleyeen (2017), and its most recent triumph, Kira wa al-Gin (2022), an adaptation of the novel 1919 Ahmed Mourad. Kira wa al-Gin was the most profitable film in Egyptian cinema.
An immersive journey in cinematographic art
The Master Class with Marwan Hamed, organized the day after The opening ceremony of the El Gouna Film Festivaloffered a deep and intimate look at the career of the Egyptian director. Hosted brilliantly by Alaa Karkouti of the company Mad Solution, this session was much more than a simple discussion; She was an immersive dive in the creative universe of Marwan Hamed.
A prestigious audience and eminent guests
The amphitheater welcomed a varied audience, made up of filmmakers, writers, renowned actors, and enthusiasts of cinema. Among the eminent guests were the directors Yousry Nasrallah, Hany Khalifa, Kheidr Mohamed Kheidr and Sherif El Bendary, the screenwriters Tamer Habib and Mariam Naoum, the actors YousraSalwa Mohamed Aly, Hana Chiha, Ahmed Dach and Mohamed Farrag, and many other personalities from the cinematographic world.
Have you or not do cinema studies or not?
I studied at the Higher Institute of Cairo cinema and it is a very important and enriching experience for me. This period was crucial to establish the basics of my love for cinema and my deep understanding of cinematographic art. In addition, I had the chance to get to know great teachers who influenced me a lot and taught me a lot.
That said, doing cinema studies is not a condition for making films, the main thing is to be passionate and to love cinema and to train continuously, because cinema is constantly evolving and you must always be up to date on all levels, including technological. Passion allows that. You also have to have the curiosity to watch a lot of films also continuously. Of all countries, and of different genres, including those we don’t like.
I always keep informed, in fact I do continuous training, without forgetting that the people themselves evolve and change. We must remain permanently curious, curious about everything and all. Cinema is actually a perpetual quest.
In addition, each shooting experience is a new learning.
.jpeg)
How do you choose your projects?
There is no one who can predict in advance if a film will be good or not. So you have to try to do so. Personally when I have an idea, I dig it, she ends me, she haunts me. I can stay to work two years on an idea. Of course, I could not predict it will be a success.
For Ibrahim Labyad (2009), I stayed 8 years trying to make this film. I was sure I could do something good. 8 years, it’s long, but I held out.
A large part of the work I want to do is not premeditated choices. I’m not doing it on purpose, it comes like that. My father, for example, the screenwriter Wahid Hamed, had a very rich life of experiences, having lived a very important historical period, from his move from the campaign to the city until his military service during the 1967 war, the independence of Egypt and the various developments of the Egyptian societies, and this was felt in his work which was constantly inspired by it. This is not my case, I do not have this experience, so I work Especially on questions that I ask myself and that interest me. I am looking for subjects that add something to my life, arouse my passion, and deserve my commitment. I have a constant desire to seek subjects that open unknown worlds, thus transforming each project into an exploratory adventure.
Why this preparation time so long sometimes?
When I had the project Ibrahim Labyadthe script was very very well written and well documented. The screenwriter even gave me a big files that told this world and these characters, that interested me. I had deepened in the subject and I understood this world … It was when I deeply understand the characters that I begin to be able to make the film.
For the film Yacoubian buildingI had some small problems that took me a while to solve. For example, I wanted to shoot in the real Yacoubian building, to stick even more to the book and in history, but impossible to find an agreement with the owner. My assistant then informed me that he had found a neighboring building, which corresponded even more perfectly to the history of the film. And that’s where we turned. Sometimes therefore a problem can give a better result, even if it is wasting time.
The realization is constantly grabbing me, it lives in me, I can for example one day see a setting that I like, think that it could be a very beautiful decor for a future film. He will stay in my memory in a corner until the day I find how to use it.
What are your references to make films?
When I’m going to start a film, I start with the study. For example for Turab El Mass (2018), it was the first time that I had a suspense, so I had spent months watching Hitchcock films and other directors of suspense and reading on the production of suspense films. In dovery often I resume my academic courses studied at school to give them back in memory.
During my youth, I watched films such as Al Motarad (1985) by Samir Seif, as well as films from the 80s and 90s which were distinguished by their remarkable quality, like the film Al Bedaya (1986) of the great director Salah Abou Seif.
I try to diversify and discover permanently.
At the end of my film El-Asleyeen (2017), I realized that I had not finished it well, that details were not clear … I tried later to remedy this in my following films. In fact you have to try to plan how the public will see the film and understand it … El Asleyeen made me understand that I must be clearer in what I say, more accessible, with a clear cinematic language.
How do you choose your actors?
The actor is very very important, he is a fundamental pillar of the film. I’m going to tell you an anecdote: actress yousra in The Yacoubian building who had prepared his role so well that he became important. Originally, Yousra had to play 5 scenes, which were not very important. Besides, at the beginning, she had not even accepted this little role. After reading the script, she had finally accepted. But she had completely invested in the role and had studied it deeply. She had learned Ms. Christine’s ways, that she had perfectly embodied her. Suddenly, this character had become important in the film thanks to this interpretation of Yousra.
All the actors I worked with were extraordinary, they all worked their roles very well and have made a lot of effort. They knew how to be very sincere.
I did with Hend Sabry 4 films and she knew how to be very different each time and provide an extraordinarily work
What is the most important period for you in developing a film?
I love the assembly period. I finish the shooting and then start the questions: will this film be finished or not? Will it be clear or not? Was it imagined? Is it like before filming? Is it better? Was the planned division, should we change?
We shoot for a long period of the scattered scenes and it is during the assembly that it becomes clear and I can see where I can go exactly.
For me the best period is that of editing because I see the film really born and take shape, this is the moment when the film really emerges from the creative process.
Neïla Driss
