Director Mohamed Rabie and Mahmoud Maged join forces once again for “Haseb Tehlam” film, scheduled for digital release on August 6, 2023.
Following the success of his films “Maktoub” and “Al-Faramel Wal-Neswan,” director Mohamed Rabie is embarking on a new artistic venture with Mahmoud Maged in the short film “Haseb Tehlam” (Paydreaming). The film delves into the potential effects of social media and artificial intelligence on people’s lives in the future. It is scheduled to be digitally released on the Enaho platform, which specializes in short films and dramas on YouTube, starting on August 6, 2023.
The film’s storyline is a lighthearted comedy that follows a character’s dream coming true and its impact on his life, amidst social and humorous situations. Director Mohamed Rabie described it as a unique experience that breaks away from the current trends in feature films. He also announced that the film will be available for free on the digital platform for public viewing.
The film features a cast of renowned actors, including a guest appearance by Hesham Maged, the late Ahmed Khalil, Laila Ezz Al-Arab, Ahmed Gamal Saiid, Gihan El Shamashergy, Dalia Shawki, Bakri Khaled, Kamal El Debieky, Nada Nader, and Muhra Medhat. Produced by “Enaho” and co-produced by “Arrow,” the film was written by Mahmoud Maged, and directed by Mohamed Rabie, with music composed by Mohamed Nawara and cinematography by Youssef Baroud & Moataz Ibrahim.
Director Mohamed Rabie stated, “I am delighted to introduce the film ‘Haseb Tehlam’. The idea for this project was conceived during one of my evening discussions with the artist and writer Mahmoud Maged in 2020. At that time, the topic of artificial intelligence was not as widely discussed as it is today. Our conversation revolved around the potential impact of social media and artificial intelligence on human life in the future. We spent time developing the idea through various scenarios until we arrived at the final version that we ultimately filmed.”
“Most people may not be aware of the challenges that the film had to overcome before it was finally completed. We began working on the project in 2020 and even filmed some scenes, but we had to suspend production due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns that brought all life activities to a halt. The most difficult challenge I faced during this time was how to keep the team united for two and a half years. Unfortunately, fate intervened when artist Ahmed Khalil passed away, which forced us to revise the script to accommodate his absence without deleting the scenes he had already filmed,” added Mohamed Rabie.
Composer Mohamed Nawara commented, “I was thrilled to be a part of the film ‘Haseb Tehlam’ from the very beginning. Most of the film scores that I have composed, whether in Egypt or abroad, were for documentary works. Therefore, this movie presented a significant challenge for me to create an unconventional film score that matches the nature of the comedy genre. I collaborated closely with director Mohamed Rabie for two months to achieve a film score that resembles the light-hearted style of movies from the late 90s and early 2000s. It integrates comedy and Eastern music, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.”
The film crew has finished the promotional song for “Haseb Tehlam”, which is sung by artist Mahmoud Maged, who also plays the lead role in the film. The song features highlights from the movie and is set to be released in the coming days before the film is screened on the digital platform.
“Haseb Tehlam” is a new artistic endeavor for director Mohamed Rabie and marks his third collaboration with Mahmoud Maged, who starred in Rabie’s first film “Maktoub.” The film was well-received at various film festivals, including the Cannes Shorts Film Festival, where it won an important Honorable Mention award. Their second collaboration was in the film “Al-Faramel Wal-Neswan,” which was released on the Enaho platform on YouTube.