Egyptian-Austrian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky, whose camel racing drama Hajjan played in competition at Red Sea in 2023, returns to the festival with his third feature, The Stories.
Set in the late 20th century, it follows the long-distance relationship between an Egyptian pianist, played by Amir El-Masry, and a woman in Austria, played by Valerie Pachner, against the backdrop of war.
Following its world premiere at Tallinn Black Nights, the film receives its MENA premiere here in competition. Goodfellas handles sales. Shawky is also known for 2018 Cannes Competition title Yomeddine.
What inspired this story?
I initially wanted to tell the story of how my parents met in the 1970s. My mother is Austrian and my father is Egyptian and they used to write letters to each other. However, as I developed the idea, it expanded and evolved, shifting away from reality into fiction.
What challenges did you encounter while making the film?
It took us about seven years to make The Stories. The journey began around 2019, but production was interrupted by Covid and other unexpected events. It took a very long time before it finally saw the light of day. Finishing a film is often the biggest challenge a filmmaker faces, and in many ways, that’s the real achievement.
How did you bring this period of the 20th century to life on screen?
The biggest challenge was that these neighbourhoods don’t really exist in the same way anymore. We had to build the sets in a studio at The Egyptian Media Production City to recreate these areas. Thankfully, we had access to numerous references and a wealth of visual material, due to the fantastic films created during that era and people who documented the period through photographs.
We were fortunate to work with highly talented production designer Hend Haider, who constructed the sets and this film serves as a love letter to the remarkable Egyptian melodramas of the 1960s, I have so many fond memories of watching those unforgettable films on TV with my parents while growing up.
What does it mean to play the film at Red Sea?
We were supported by the Red Sea Fund from a very early stage, so it’s a real honour to finally bring the film here. This film took a very long time to make, so being able to stand in front of people and present it at last is something I’m genuinely thrilled about.
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