By: Yomna Walid&nbsp;
From studying computer science in Alexandria to discovering a passion for filmmaking, director Ahmed Samir is behind &ldquo;The Lament of Spice Island,&rdquo; the only Egyptian short film selected for the International Competition at the 42nd Interfilm Berlin.
The film will have its world premiere at Interfilm Berlin, which will take place from November 10 to 15 in Berlin. The festival is an Academy Award-qualifying short film festival.
Directed by Ahmed Samir, &ldquo;The Lament of Spice Island&rdquo; is an Egyptian-Sudanese-Tanzanian co-production, with music composed by Egyptian composer Khaled Al Kammar.
NileFM spoke exclusively with Ahmed Samir about his journey into filmmaking, the story behind &ldquo;The Lament of Spice Island,&rdquo; his upcoming projects, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the filmmaking industry.
Behind His Journey
Samir was studying computer science and living in Alexandria when he first discovered his passion for cinema.
&ldquo;I was studying computer science and living in Alexandria. Directing was not something I had in mind, but I was studying editing. A friend told me that there was a newly opened film school.
&ldquo;Becoming a director was not on my mind at first, but when I started studying, I felt like I was becoming more connected to cinema and talking about it more. I developed a greater passion for it than for programming, so I decided that every year I would make a short film.&rdquo;
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About &ldquo;The Lament of Spice Island&rdquo;
Two lifelong friends travel to Spice Island for a carefree summer, only to find that something between them is beginning to change.
While much of the film&rsquo;s story remains under wraps, Samir revealed some details about its two main characters, Shams and Younes.
&ldquo;The film is full of details and has a story that we are not going to reveal all of yet. It follows two friends, Shams and Younes. Younes has entry and exit stamps in his passport from Tanzania, while Shams has Tanzanian roots but no exit stamp.
&ldquo;There are also photos of them from when they were babies and as they grew up together. Their friendship is different, and in the coming period, there will be clues that explain more about the film.&rdquo;
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Interfilm Berlin&rsquo;s International Competition
Interfilm Berlin is one of Germany&rsquo;s major short film festivals and an Academy Award-qualifying festival, showcasing international short films across different genres.
Speaking about being the only Egyptian film selected for the festival&rsquo;s International Competition, Samir said:
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy because it is considered the only Egyptian film at the festival. It will be seen on a global level by people from all over the world. I hope it wins because it is an Oscar-qualifying competition.&rdquo;
On &ldquo;Teta&rdquo;
Samir also reflected on his previous short film, &ldquo;Teta,&rdquo; describing it as a different experience because of its psychological horror elements.
"&lsquo;Teta&rsquo; was a different experience for me because it was a horror film. I like psychological horror rather than gory horror. The idea itself came to me from a nightmare I had."
&ldquo;I wrote it exactly as I dreamed it, and then I transformed it into a drama. I spent six months writing the film, and then I sent it to the actress Mona Hala, who really liked it.&rdquo;
On Khaled Al Kammar&rsquo;s Involvement in &ldquo;The Lament of Spice Island&rdquo;
Egyptian composer Khaled Al Kammar joined the film to bring his musical vision to its world and story.
"I met Khaled Al Kammar at one of the festivals. I had won a production grant to make &lsquo;The Lament of Spice Island,&rsquo; so I sent Khaled a copy of the film and told him that I would love for him to work with me on it."
&ldquo;He told me that he loved the film because it is full of different cultures, including the Maasai tribe. He liked the film&rsquo;s unique world, so he created the music for it. I felt that the music captured exactly the right spirit for the film.&rdquo;
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On His Upcoming Projects
Samir is currently developing his first feature film, which he plans to write himself.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m currently working on my first feature film, which is in the development stage, and it will be written by me.&rdquo;
On AI and the Future of Filmmaking
As artificial intelligence continues to develop across the filmmaking industry, Samir believes that audiences will continue to value the human element behind films.
"I feel that despite the development of artificial intelligence in cinema, the opposite will happen. The real thing in any work, and the fact that people put their soul into it, is what audiences will love more."
&ldquo;There are many films that have been redone after they were completed because of artificial intelligence, because they didn&rsquo;t have a soul.&rdquo;
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His Advice to Aspiring Filmmakers
For aspiring filmmakers, Samir stressed the importance of creating with the resources available rather than waiting for financial support or outside assistance.
&ldquo;My advice, which I also apply to myself, is: don&rsquo;t be lazy and don&rsquo;t wait for someone to help you or give you financial support. I would feel that I wasn&rsquo;t making anything with the resources I had, but after that, your creativity develops.&rdquo;
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Photo Credit: Ahmed Samir&rsquo;s official page

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