KARACHI:
Over its 75 years of existence, the Pakistani film industry has relied heavily on foreign content – mainly Hollywood films – and without them, the situation would have been even worse. Since the introduction of multiplexes, the country has joined the territories that are part of global distribution, and that is why many Hollywood films are now released here on the same day as in the United States.
With the recent release of the Egyptian film See! See! See! foreign content has received a new boost in Pakistani cinemas, which could prove beneficial for our film industry.
Why is the release of this strange-sounding film in Pakistani cinemas an important milestone in our cinematic history? It is the first ever Arabic-language film to be released in Pakistan, where the language is often understood but little spoken; However, the similarity of Egyptian and Pakistani cultures will clearly help the film succeed at the box office. It could prove to be a worthy substitute for Indian films which are currently not screened in Pakistan.
Yes, Arabic films may not be as exciting as Bollywood films, but they are up to international standards. The story of See! See! See! revolves around Hassan, a poor Egyptian who works as a security guard and lives with his mother but dreams of becoming rich and traveling abroad. His life changes when he decides to feign blindness so he can join a visually impaired soccer team and escape to Europe during the World Cup. Whether he succeeds in convincing the officials that he is the right “blind man” for the job or does he fail to defraud them, it is this attempt that makes this an ideal film.
Directed by Omar Hilal and distributed in Pakistan by HKC Entertainment, in collaboration with UAE’s Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment, the film was released last Friday and is expected to captivate Pakistani audiences as it mixes two things that viewers love about this part of the world – football and comedy. Add to that the tag “inspired by true events” and you’ll need to carve out a must-see movie in your busy schedule.
The ensemble cast is led by Mohamed Farrag and also includes renowned actors, namely Bayoumi Fouad, Nelly Karim, Taha Desouky, Amgad Al Haggar, Hanan Youssef and Hagag Abdel-Azim. Farrag plays the lead role of the sneaky but not blind footballer, Bayoumi Fouad plays his coach and Nelly Karim is the journalist who follows the team’s glorious journey to the European final.
What makes it extra special on the eve of its release is the fact that Egypt has already submitted See! See! See! as its entry in the Best International Feature Film category at 96th Oscars, and that could give tough competition to other films. Talk to Tribune Expresswriter and director Omar Hilal said he was very excited about the release of his film in Pakistan, a country whose culture is similar to that of his native Egypt.
When asked what made him choose a film combining football and comedy, Omar Hilal replied that the subject of the film attracted him and that football was just a very attractive vehicle that he used to highlight the real problem.
“To be honest, I am a football fanatic and I have supported AS Roma with my blood for many years,” Hilal confesses. However, my film is not about football but about something bigger than that, which revolves around the idea of people living outside their home country. The desire to implement this idea in a film has always been there, while the incredible and unreal drama present in the script inspired me to give it a try.
He then presented his credentials for writing and directing the film, and they were nothing short of impressive. “I have lived between two countries my whole life, so I have a deep understanding of the idea and the subject has always been on my mind,” shares Hilal. “I can easily claim to be one of those Egyptians who traveled the world. I grew up in Saudi Arabia, studied in Canada and started my career in Italy. That’s why, when I came across a strange news story about normal people pretending to be blind to escape their country, I found it both cunning and funny and decided that it would be the subject of my next project. .’
He was also confident that Pakistani audiences would like the film because the subject matter is close to his heart, as are the Pakistanis he grew up around. “I’m very excited to see how the film will be received in Pakistan, and although I’ve never been to the country, I grew up among many Pakistanis. In fact, one of my best friends is a Pakistani and I have always found them to be loving and caring people. This is one of the reasons why I think they will be able to resonate with the story of Voy Voy! See! since it’s also a film about people with extremely good hearts, despite the illegal actions they take to get to the other side.
Hilal has always believed that Egyptians and Pakistanis share the same cultural values and that is why he believes that Pakistani audiences will feel very familiar with the actors and situations presented in the film and might even relate to them. He lamented the fact that he will not be in Pakistan when the film hits the screens here, but he is confident that he will soon be able to watch the film with Pakistani audiences, which could be sooner than he thinks. think.
The person present in Pakistan for the film’s release was Toni El Massih, managing director of VOX Cinemas, the famous cinema chain in the United Arab Emirates. He believes that the release of See! See! See! marks a historic event as it offers Pakistani audiences a window into the rich culture of the Arab world.
Talk to Tribune Express, he not only thanked his partner Hammad Chaudhry (of HKC Entertainment) for bringing the film to Pakistan, but also hinted that this could be the first of many such collaborations. When asked what made him bring an Arabic film to a non-Arabic speaking country like Pakistan, he said the film may be in Arabic, but it was more international than not. thing.
“All credit goes to Hammad Chaudhry, our partner from HKC who saw and loved See! See! See! A a few months ago and I agreed that it was the right time to bring Arabic films to Pakistan,” says El Massih. “We both agreed that it would be the perfect film for Pakistani audiences because, although it is in Arabic, it is more international than anything else. It has the right mix, the right mix of emotion and humor and it resonates with audiences all over the world, not just Arab audiences.
He also added that since Pakistan has always been a huge market for foreign films, they decided to tap this market, hoping that it would benefit both countries. “It is an international film, the first Egyptian to undertake a trip to Pakistan, making it the first country outside the Arab region to screen the film and we believe it will strike a chord with audiences in the country .”
Asked about collaborating with local filmmakers in Pakistan, Toni said it might be too soon, but did not rule out the idea. “I’m not going to say it’s going to happen soon, but no one knows. Maybe ultimately, if we find the right mix, we can cross the bridges between the Arab world and Pakistan. I don’t see no reason why we could do that. I don’t collaborate with Pakistani filmmakers. This has happened with other countries and I would like to collaborate with Pakistan if the opportunity arises.
El Massih was generous in giving a fairly high rating to the cinema facilities in Lahore. “Lahore is close to my heart and I have visited the city several times,” he says. “I also know other cities well which have many ultra-modern cinemas. It is good to see that Pakistan has IMAX offerings as well as premium offerings in cinemas, but there is always room for growth. The best way to improve is to find ways to improve the audience experience, and if this is possible it should be explored.
Film distributor Hammad Chaudhry also shared his enthusiasm for the project while speaking to Tribune Express. “We are delighted to bring “See!” See! See!’ to the Pakistani audience which beautifully showcases the universal theme of chasing your dreams. We believe this will resonate deeply with our viewers in Pakistan.
Omair Alavi is a freelance contributor who writes about film, television and popular culture.
All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the author
