07:50 PM
Saturday 12 March 2022
I wrote – Mona El Mougy:
Producer Antoine Khalifa, producer of the series “In Love… and Life”, which was launched by the global platform Netflix on March 10, said that he wanted to present attractive short films, and bring together a large group of Arab directors.
He continued, in exclusive statements to “Masrawy”: “The problem that we faced is finding a topic through which we can gather a number of Arab directors, and we were working before that with scriptwriter Azza Shalaby, and we asked her regarding ideas that can be presented, and she suggested that we present a film regarding love by addressing it in the A frame of black comedy, and with the Corona virus and the lockdown story, we decided to talk regarding love in a non-classical way, and started talking to the directors.”
When asked regarding the production cost and was it more than presenting one long film?, Antoine said, “The production cost was never a problem. We had an idea that we wanted to implement, which is that every director presents a short film, according to the vision he wants, either by writing the script or working with Who wants to cooperate with him, but with respect that the film revolves around love and a black comedy, as well as we watch the details of the area in which the events take place, so it was more important than the cost that the idea crystallize, and we gave them the space they wanted.”
The series “In Love… and Life” consists of 8 separate short films that reflect the perspective of love in a dramatic framework in 6 different Arab countries (Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon).
Each movie in the series tells a love story dominated by dark comedy and all take place on one day, Valentine’s Day.
The series brings together a group of creative Arab directors who have won several international and local awards, they are director Hani Abu Asaad and director Amira Diab from Palestine, director Abdel Mohsen Al-Dabaan from Saudi Arabia, director Hisham Al-Asri from Morocco, director Khairy Bishara, director Sandra Nashat from Egypt, and director Kawthar Benn Haniyeh from Tunisia, director Mahmoud Al-Sabbagh from Saudi Arabia, and director Michel Kammoun from Lebanon.
First story – Mexico’s National Day of Mourning
Written by: Nora Sheikh
Directed by: Khairy Bishara
Casting: Aser Yassin, Basma, Nada Al-Shazly, Ali Sobhi, Noura Shisha
The second story – my brother
Written by: Rafeeq Morcos
Directed by: Sandra Nashaat
Casting: Ahmed Ezz, Basant Shawky, Salah Abdullah, Adham Hosam
The third story – the big red heart
Written by: Michel Kammoun
Directed by: Michel Kammoun
Casting: Elie Njeim, Rita Hayek, Fadi Abi Samra
Fourth story – Sir Valentine
Written by: Hisham El-Asry
Directed by: Hisham El Asry
Casting: Nasser Akbab, Fatima Al-Zahra Kanboua
Fifth story – Kazouz
Written by: Amira Diab
Directed by: Hani Abu Assad and Amira Diab
Starring: Amer Hlehel, Shaden Kanboura, Samer Bisharat
Sixth story – Love in Al-Amaria Studio
Written by: Mahmoud Sabbagh
Directed by: Mahmoud Sabbagh
Casting: Sami Hanafi, Dai Al-Hilali, Sarah Bard
The seventh story – Al-Asha
Written by: Muhammad Al Hammoud, and Abdul Mohsen Al Dhaban
Directed by: Abdulmohsen Al-Dabaan
Casting: Mishaal Al-Mutairi, Reem Al-Habib
Eighth story – Slaughterhouse of Happiness
Written by: Kawthar bin Hania
Directed by: Kawthar Ben Hania
Starring: Abdel Hamid Bushnak, Murad El Gharsali, Anisa Daoud
