El Gouna Film Festival held a seminar titled “Effective Filmmaking”, Joined by the actor Ahmed Malek, director Sylvain George, producer Mabel Evans.
Ahmed Malek talked about his short film in which he presents an Arab character in a European country and they consider him a refugee, saying: “I do not look from the Western perspective and that this work is about refugees, but I see it as a character who has dreams and wants to achieve them.”
Malek continued : Art can certainly change reality, but we create works regardless of whether it will change reality or not. As an artist, I must feel the community, and it is not appropriate for artists to be above society. I try to convey the human experience as much as possible and let the recipient feel it. I do not have to impose a burden on the recipient, as for me, I present the characters from a human perspective because the West has put us in a certain box.
Regarding the reason for the West putting Arabs in a certain box, Ahmed Malek said: I understood when I traveled abroad, I was studying abroad and working, that my identity is that I am an Arab traveler and the West puts us in certain boxes, even in casting, they put you in a specific heart, for example, they used to bring Arabs into artistic works before 2011 as terrorists and after that as refugees. .. “I believe that it is based on their media and this is according to political life, and this is a reality that we must understand, and that is why we do not have to agree to any role and that’s it. I realize that acting abroad is difficult for you to get roles easily, but we can talk to the creators of the work to present ideas to change this idea from another perspective”.
“I try to struggle with this as an actor because they see us in certain molds, but I try to present characters that have human problems, and I think recently this is what I am trying to do, and I think this matter is more related to politics and that the West sees us as numbers, not human beings, and for this reason, the least I can do is I say that as an artist, I present what touches me as a human being”, he said.
A number of artists and filmmakers attended the symposium, including Eng. Samih Sawiris, Chairman of the Board of Directors of El Gouna Film Festival, Amr Mansy, Executive Director and Co-Founder of El Gouna Film Festival, the great actress Yousra, Ahmed Dash, Dalia Shawky, Sedky Sakhr, and Hoda El Mufti.
Malek also spoke about what is happening in Palestine and about influential works during the symposium “Making Impactful Films” within the activities of the El Gouna Film Festival in its sixth session, saying: “It is difficult for me to talk about what is happening in Gaza, but I used my accounts like everyone else in an attempt to get our voices heard, and we do not know who to turn to for help, but this is due to our feeling of helplessness.”
Regarding influential works, Malek said: “I believe that recently the series Under Guardianship had a great impact on the ground, and if it was presented in parliament to change the laws, the creators of the work certainly did not think that the series would be presented in parliament. We present honest films and series that touch people, and that is why I say that Under Guardianship had a great impact on reality.”
Published December 18, 2023.
