Yousry Nasrallah: “A political commitment and a commitment to cinema”

Yousry Nasrallah, director of After the Battle, held a press conference accompanied by three of his actors, Bassem Samra, Menna Shalaby and Nahed El Sebaï), his French producer, Georges-Marc Benamou, his Egyptian producer and his co-writer Omar Schama. Some extracts.

Yousry Nasrallah, talking about the extraordinary speed with which the film was written and edited in the middle of the revolution:

"I was shooting another movie but the period was so tumultuous that it took up all our energy, our thoughts, our emotions. I told myself that this is the stuff movies are made of. I had the idea of working with the actors and seeing what would happen between the fall of Mubarak and the elections. But in the end I decided to stop before, in October, with the massacre outside the television centre, because all the cards were on the table (…). In a context where the cinema and art in general, are under attack in Egypt from the so-called Islamist parties, I believe that our film represents a political commitment and a commitment to cinema. I think that’s what allowed us, the actors and technicians and myself, to hold on for 6 months without knowing how the script or the characters would turn out."

About the commitment of the actors:

Menna Chalaby : “I think artists should be free. I am ready to fight for that.”

Bassem Samra :“I was very fearful that, because of these movements opposed to democracy, to art, ours might be the last movie to be made, but we were really driven to make this film together because we love our craft. Our being here in Cannes is the best answer to all those who want to put an end to art in Egypt.”.

Yousry Nasrallah, on the presence of the film at Cannes:

“For twenty years I’ve been making movies that are not bad. That it should be this one, made in conditions of total freedom, that is in competition sends a powerful signal to the Arab world. Refusing to give it up and bow down before dictatorship, that’s what the cinema is all about.”

Interview by B. de M.