A One On One With The Man Behind The

by Aya Aboshady

Adam Abdelghafar is a former creative director in the field of advertising and the founder of Studio Adam for visual arts & design, as well as the newly-founded production company “Adamic”. Being a visual artist, his art projects have been exhibited in Cairo, London, Beirut, and Tunis. Abdelghafar is also a scriptwriter and director whose short film “Shoka W Sekina” won first prize for scriptwriting at El Gouna Film Festival 2017 and was premiered the year after.

Now, his new hit series “Nemra 2” (This Other Thing), a romantic Shahid Original that consists of 8 stand-alone episodes created and written by him is featuring 8 of Egypt’s best directors including Adam, and 18 stars from Egypt and the Middle East, such as Asser Yassin, Arwa Gouda, Menna Shalaby, Eyad Nassar, Amina Khalil, Ahmed Malek, Sherine Reda, and Maged El-Kedwany.

We had the chance to speak to Adam about “Nemra 2”, the idea behind it, the episode he’s directing, his future plans, and so much more!

1. Talk to us about the idea behind “Nemra 2”. What does the title entail?

When I finished working on my short movie “Shoka W Sekina” (2018) starring Asser Yassin, Menna Shalaby, and Eyad Nassar, I knew I wanted to write more stories about love and relationships. And that led me to the idea of “Nemra 2”, especially that I’m generally fond of short stories.

The title is inspired by the “other” or the “second” love stories in the protagonists’ and people’s lives, in general. The ones that often appear all of a sudden to either make things right or wrong - it depends.

I wanted to portray something real and I wanted to make it different, which is why the series consists of 8 - originally 12 - separate episodes with a number of different actors and directors. And that, in itself, was a great creative challenge. However, when the idea was first put on the table, everybody was so excited - specifically Shahid who helped us bring it to life and now here we are, thankfully!

2. Take us through the process of choosing the cast members, crew, and directors! After reading the script, each director had the say in who gets to play the main characters on their episode. The directors themselves were chosen based on the diversity we wanted this series to include - not to mention that they’re all great directors and big names in the industry. Each one comfortably chose the episode that suited them best and the one they wanted to personally work on from the ideas proposed.

3. What can you tell us about the episode you directed?

My episode is starring Eyad Nassar and Amina Khalil. I worked with Eyad before in “Shoka W Sekina” and we formed a special bond as well as a mutual trust to the point that he agreed to the episode in “Nemra 2” before even reading the script, he was very excited and we wasted no time to film it. However, the episode was shot in 6 days because the time and the actors’ schedules were very tight and we had some challenges concerning the location, but it was all worth it when we saw the first cut.

4. Do you think that in the past few years there’s been a development in both the cinema industry and television in Egypt? If so, what do you think we could credit this improvement to and how do you want “Nemra 2” to inspire in the near future of the entertainment scene?

The credit has to go to digital platforms such as Shahid, which is one of the most important streaming services in the Middle East that provide Arabic content. They handed us the opportunity to dream big and present fresh ideas that are out of the box. I’m positive that the future is holding even greater things for cinema and television in Egypt, and I’m hopeful that “Nemra 2” will inspire more writers to tell love stories from different perspectives and more directors to collaborate with each other on bigger productions. And I definitely want to still be part of all that. 5. What projects are you currently working on after the huge success of “Nemra 2”?

Although “Nemra 2” has been a unique drama experience for me, filmmaking is still my main passion and I will continue making short movies and working in cinema. That being said, I have some good news to announce. I established a production company called “Adamic”, with the purpose of making short films, music videos, and maybe drama too as well as attracting many talents to tell those stories.

6. What advice would you give to young filmmakers who wish to walk the same path?

I would advise them to work hard, make an effort to study, work on themselves every day, put their all in their creations, believe in their talents, and be sure that God will lend them a helping hand as long as they’re trying and improving. Most importantly, they should be well aware that success takes time and that the journey isn’t easy so giving up shouldn’t be an option if they really want to make it.

By Nanise Mohamed

For a few years now, British/ Egyptian actor Amir El Masry grabbed the attention of both the Egyptian and international media. His latest BAFTA Breakthrough selection is the cherry on top of a very successful year. We wouldn’t be exaggerating if we called him the Breakout Star of 2020.

We had the pleasure of interviewing the 30 year old star for our December issue and got to learn about the preparations for his movie “Limbo”, his role in the Star Wars franchise and his take on the social awakening movement currently taking place in Egypt.

1. Tell us about your BAFTA Breakthrough selection. How is that for a milestone? It’s super amazing, not only for myself but also for the fact that I am representing Egypt back home. In previous years, it seemed like somewhat of an impossible task for Middle Eastern leads. So to be pitched by the production company and to be selected as one of the five talented actors for 2020 is definitely a huge honor. Hopefully when others see this, they’ll believe it’s achievable. If I can do it, many people can too.

2. Were you always set out to be an actor from a young age? Yes. I did my first play at the age of seven, where I was a cat actually. I instantly fell in love with acting and theatre, but also the escapism. I was a shy kid, so getting the chance to play “pretend” and to impersonate other characters was super fun for me and it gave me a great deal of confidence. 3. We want to know more about your role as Omar in the movie “Limbo” and how do you feel about all the appraisal and international critical acclaim? Honestly, I was a little reluctant to play the refugee 36 December 2020 role. It’s a pretty sensitive topic. I don’t like it when a movie about the refugee crisis centers more on the “white savior” rather than the suffering groups. But upon reading the script, it was obvious that the focal point was the character of Omar, the Syrian refugee seeking asylum.

This movie went through a huge process. We filmed on a Scottish island with tough climate conditions. I self-isolated a lot to try and get a sense of the suffering. I also had the pleasure of meeting with real-life asylum seekers who gave me time to get to know them and understand their circumstances first hand.

4. How do you feel about casting Arabs in international productions? Do the stereotypes bother you at times? Over the years I was very frustrated with this and I wanted to break that stereotype. I wanted to have the chance to play any given role and perfect it. However, I can’t hide the fact that I am an Arab with Middle Eastern/Egyptian features.

In my movie Daniel, I portrayed a real-life jihadist. Obviously, I have no interest in the terrorist role, all the time. But it’s a character that is alive and well.

And getting into its psyche and the humane part of it seems crucial.

5. Were you a Star Wars fan growing up? Tell us about your role in The Rise of Skywalker. I have deep admiration and respect for the franchise. It’s a part of history, without a doubt. And I love what George Lucas has done over the years in the sci-fi realm. Frankly, I haven’t always been the biggest Star Wars fan growing up, but I was super excited and honored to be part of Skywalker. But honestly it was my friends that went crazy about me starring in it!

6. You worked alongside major Hollywood stars, which one made you feel intimidated? I was intimidated when I first met Woody Harrelson. He has a very strong presence in a location. We’re still friends and sometimes we meet when he’s in London. He’s very down to earth and he never forgets people. I’m a huge fan of his.

7. What’s your take regarding the anti-sexual harassment movement in Egypt? Finally people are giving the matter appropriate attention. I wasn’t on the grounds so much when it was all happening, but I always keep up with the news. It’s prevalent within all the social classes. It has nothing to do with your socioeconomic background really; it’s all about the way you were raised.

It’s great to show men, who always thought they could get away with any act of abuse towards women, that things are changing right now. I hope the awareness campaigns find their way to our educational systems to teach people how to treat women with dignity and respect.

8. Is starring in an Egyptian movie or series something you’d consider for the near-future? And, what do you think of the Egyptian cinematic scene at the moment? Absolutely. I was set to star in an Egyptian series but couldn’t due to my packed schedule for the time being. But once I am offered a good script and the timing is right for me, I will definitely go for it. I always want to work more in Egypt, on the right projects and with the right people!

I think that independent cinema is where we are very strong. We have incredible producers like Mohamed Hefzy and many others who pioneered the indie genre here.

9. What are your future plans/dreams? I want to work in Egypt. I have a great independent film that’ll hopefully be filmed in Liverpool. If I’m lucky enough, I might catch some matches and cheer on for Mo Salah. I’m a huge fan!

I am also starring in a Netflix series soon, but unfortunately that’s all I can tell you about it for the time being.

10. A piece of advice for young aspiring actors? Be well prepared to get rejected. Get used to the fact that you’ll be turned down a lot. Develop a thick skin and don’t take it personally. Also, keep practicing this craft with workshops, practice with friends and educate yourself and you’ll eventually get there. If I could do it, anyone can!