Cannes Short Film Corner 2018 - Doors of Mercy
While desperately trying to obtain a birth certificate for her out-of-wedlock baby, a single Egyptian woman has to learn how to live in a society where she is now an outcast.
Interview with Writer/Director Abdallah El Daly
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you. Throughout my childhood, I've always had an inner struggle between living by the norms and not being able to take risks in life, and doing things that would put me in a position where I would be picked up on. I preferred being on the safe side, and I even often made fun of people who were somehow different by being themselves as a defense mechanism to protect myself from being judged for trying to fit in. As I grew up, I found myself doing the same. I wasn’t changing, and I hated that about myself.
At some point I realized that I was living to please society and that’s when I decided to get outside of my comfort zone and explore the world outside my box. And that was also when I understood how a person can get so desperate to fit in, and as a result, they commit mistakes. Doors of Mercy is for everyone who’s seeking forgiveness from a society just for jumping off the norm, a society that appears to be perfect but is in fact flawed and double-faced.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Thousands of Egyptians have been born out of wedlock in a society that stigmatizes and refuses to recognize them. They are even denied access to basic education, health care, and the right to vote. Doors of Mercy will tell their story and seeks to obliterate the very notion of "Illegitimacy".
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Doors of Mercy as much as it’s a very culture and localized problem in Egypt is still a global story about basic women and children's rights and judgement, which is in every society, but the degree of the problem differs based on several circumstances.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
It all started when I read an article about the homeless kids in Cairo’s streets. I found that one of the root causes of having a huge number of homeless children is illegitimate children, as they tend to be left out or abandoned by their parents. That struck me, because in Egypt every day you will bump into kids that are about 3 – 5 years old trying to sell a pack of tissues or begging for money, and I thought the only reason behind those homeless kids is just poverty.
So I researched more about the illegitimate children and I found that the law in Egypt doesn’t allow issuing birth certificates to illegitimate children. That’s why a large number of women end up abandoning their children due to their inability to obtain any rights or help without the father’s signature. That mainly was the inspiration behind writing the script and it all started from here, the collaboration with Anna was very interesting, yet very essential as she brought the feminine perspective to the script but there were a few challenges that we had to work hard to overcome, she’s not Egyptian and not familiar with the culture.
Pre- production was the most challenging phase for me as I chose to produce a movie in Egypt and the challenge was to gather money to produce the movie. Everyone around me thought that I’m crazy to give up the facilities the school offers us to use for shooting our thesis films here in LA. Regardless, I wanted Doors of Mercy to be an impressive calling card for me as a director and I truly believe the perfect place for my script is my home country, which is the place that I relate to the most and was the motive behind why I wanted to be a filmmaker in the first place.
So I started a crowd funding campaign from which I gathered 6000 USD, and I added 2000 more from my own credit card which I’m still repaying until now. Adding to that, the school gave me only three weeks to shoot the movie in Egypt. As a result I had to prepare all aspects of production in LA. In other words, I had to stay up so late because of the time difference. I started finding a crew, lock locations, equipment and casting along with keeping up with my classes in the morning, and working on the script and the creative side of work as a director, so it was very challenging experience as a whole.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback was very positive after each screening and yet the movie was shocking to the audience as Doors of Mercy reflects the harsh reality in Egypt.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The audience was always left in shock after watching Doors of Mercy; it always leads to the questions: 'is this really still happening?' and 'what will happen to the baby?', which is exactly how I wanted to leave the audience thinking and questioning.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Our goal is to reach out to new segments of diverse audience to obliterate the very notion of “Illegitimacy" which is achievable through We Are Moving Stories.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Producers, distributors, film festival directors and journalists.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Through Doors of Mercy I wanted to reflect the harsh reality and show a living example of how judging others can destroy lives. Also I wanted Doors of Mercy to become the voice of hundreds of women and children out there who are struggling and we’re not even aware about their struggle.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Women in such situations are all left with the one harsh choice that they have to make: either to keep the baby out of love without being recognized by the government and with having zero rights, or to abandon the baby to give him/her a better opportunity to live. What will be your choice? Or your solution?
Would you like to add anything else?
I am grateful for all the help and the support I received, especially from everyone who contributed through the campaign or helped us in any way, without their help I wouldn’t have done the movie.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m working on two projects currently: a short movie along with my first feature film. The preparations for it just started three months ago and it’s a global story that will take place in Egypt, India and China.
Interview: May 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Doors of Mercy
While desperately trying to obtain a birth certificate for her out-of-wedlock baby, a single Egyptian woman has to learn how to live in a society where she is now an outcast.
Length: 14:19
Director: Abdallah El Daly
Producer: Yara El Daly
Writer: Anna Kriegel & Abdallah El Daly
About the writer, director and producer:
Abdallah El Daly: An Egyptian Fulbright scholar, he recently Obtained his M.A. in filmmaking at New York Film Academy. He started working as a TV reporter at MBC, the biggest entertainment network in the Middle East, from the age of 19 to 24. Was one of the few Egyptian filmmakers picked for the Fulbright grant in 2016.
Anna Kriegel: Anna Kriegel is a French and Mexican writer, interested in fantasy, characters’ psychology and growth, and conflict born out of good intentions rather than pettiness.
Yara Eldaly: An Egyptian HR manager. Her first experience with film was with Doors of Mercy where she was able to show excellent skills for problem solving and bringing all the crew members together.
Key cast: Tharaa Goubail , Hanan Youssef , Lobna Wanas & Magda mounir
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Distributors , Producers , Film Festival directors & journalists
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoorsOfMercy2017/
Instagram: @doors_of_mercy
Funders: Crowd funding Campaign, and two executive producers, Motaz Elbahaey & Srinivas Devarakonda
Made in association with: Hope B-Lit Under Bayfield Foundation Inc., an NGO that mainly focuses on development and helping children around the world.
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? We have submitted the movie to many upcoming festivals in the US and around the world and still waiting for their response whether it will be accepted or not but after the festival tour we’re planning to hold different screenings starting from Egypt, the Middle East along with Europe.