The first time I was pushed to think of myself as a "documentary" filmmaker was during a work trip in Siwa oasis in 2010. On that trip I was working on a short documentary about the visit of a set of school students to the oasis and there exploration of the traditions there. I was accompanied by a friend of mine who helped me with recording sound while shooting. His name is Sameh Nabil. During one of the short breaks while shooting, Sameh mentioned that I should consider working more with the documentary medium. I remember he said something related to my "persistence for research". This was quite enlightening for me. Later on I thanked him several times for this revelation. Sameh Nabil in Siwa In 2011, I moved with Sarah to Arles, France, for six months. It was an important experience for us. When we were back by the beginning of September I had an idea for a feature documentary already quite developed in my mind. The idea behind the "The City Will Pursue You" was born within this period. I called home Mohamad El-Hadidi and told him about the project, and he decided to support me as a producer, DOP and later on even as a character in the film himself.
|
