Egyptian actor and filmmaker Amr Waked, star of Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, is coproducing Cheikh vs Imam.

Egyptian actor and filmmaker Amr Waked, star of Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, has revealed that his Cairo-based production company Zad is coproducing Cheikh vs Imam, a feature doc about singer Sheikh Imam that is directed by Ahmed Manawishi.

“He sang against corruption and fascism all over the world…During the days of the revolution, his songs were the ones predominating in Tahrir Square,” Waked said of Cheikh Imam.

Zad is also backing The Exile, a new drama directed and written by Atef Heteta. Set in Luxor in the 1980s, the story concerns a French opera director who becomes involved with an Egyptian man. Waked co-stars as a policeman as well as producing. Shooting is due to begin in late June and Zad is looking to attach a French co-producer.

Zad is also developing In Which Land You Die, a drama written and directed by Ahmed Maher about an illegal immigrant in Italy who has to “steal” his dead mother’s body to bring her back to Egypt.

Waked also revealed that French sales outfit Wide has come on board to sell R for Revolution (now to be re-titled Winter Of Discontent).