That was fast. Maybe too fast. If the old saying is to be believed, maybe the life of the Egyptian Revolution imitated the art of Sar7’et Namla – a film that was shooting as early as December and seems to feature elements of an uprising. In the trailer, there are elements of a movement spliced with images from the revolution and gatherings at Tahrir Square in Cairo. Last week, I commented on the possibility for greater filmmaking creativity that can emerge with freedom of speech, but this is faster than imagined.
As for the title, the 7 is traditionally used to replace the the ha’a (or h) sound when Arabic is written in Latin script. All Google would offer as a translation was “Cry Ant” which is less than helpful (so if there are any Arabic FSR fans out there that want to help out, it would be appreciated). Although, The Cry of the Ants might make symbolic sense, evoking the image of a large group of marginalized individuals rising up.
The important thing, though, is that the trailer looks incredible. A lot of action, great camera work, and it seems to carry the weight of the situation with ease. Plus, the score is booming. Check it out for yourself:
I’ve reached out to stunt coordinator Ahmed Abdella for more information. According to his business’s facebook page, the movie was directed by Sameh Abd Elaziz and stars Amr Abd Elgelel.
The question remains as to how an Egyptian filmmaker could have made something as anti-regime as this, filming actors marching in the streets and having conversations about Mubarak being a monster, full months before the toppling of the regime. I’ll keep an eye out for any answers, but in the mean time, I want to see this movie. It looks slick and professional.
I just need some subtitles.
What do you think?