Premiering this year to great acclaim, new—land's latest signing, Sharif Abdel Mawla, directs his first feature, Casting Call.
A mirror to a darker side of the film industry, the film tells the story of Amir, an aspiring young actor, whose dreams of greatness propel him into a narcissistic nightmare. Invited inside his inner world, the film portrays that uncomfortable transition from ambition into obsession.
The film was born from the actors who would flood Sharif's inboxes on the daily. “My dms would be full of aspiring young actors saying, 'you don't know me yet, but I'm going to be the best actor'", Sharif says.
"I took a lot of my inspiration from outcasts in society, questioning life and existentialism, like you see in Lost In Translation. And then on the other end of the spectrum, there's the angry man that Adam Sandler often plays. The main character, Amir, is his own worst enemy — he just doesn't know it..."
In a constant battle against not only his own ego, but the stereotype he's forced to play, Amir's journey into acting begins in an investigative crime programme where his face is ironically blurred. Desperate to escape his typecast trajectory, Amir chases an international audition in Brussels, where his anger and frustration lead him to become increasingly ostracised from reality.
You can watch the trailer for Casting Call here.
A social critique of a similar vein, Sharif launched his directing career with 7 Moroccans and Jos. A satirical short which still retains its political potency today.
Set in Amsterdam-West, the film exposes the racially-motivated fear — and ignorance — of certain communities towards particular groups of ethnic minorities. We're offered glimpses into the lives of seven men of Moroccan descent, alongside Jos, a middle-aged and xenophoboic Dutch man. Satirical yet authentic, each character is played by a real person — that credibility is essential to understanding that behind an exterior is a real story and existence.
The film balances tongue-in-cheek humour with political nuance, scrutinising the deep-seated racism which still threatens our communities today.
"Amids the refugee crisis in the Netherlands, it's a shame that attitudes still haven't changed. In fact, it's completely getting worse — and on a global scale," adds Sharif.
You can watch the short here.
