We caught up with Egyptian-British rising star Amir El Masry during the 42^nd edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), where his most recent film, Limbo, has received three significant awards. Our chat with El Masry talks about Limbo, a future Netflix production, and his favorite Egyptian food.

By Aliaa Elsherbini

How does it feel to have your movie Limbo participate in the 42^nd edition of the CIFF?

Super exciting, we entered Cannes, TIFF, and London Film Festival and we won awards at Saint Sebastian as well, but there is no greater feeling than participating with a movie that you’ve worked so hard on to your home country festival.

Limbo is a Western production that conveys the struggle of refugees from our region, how important was it for you to take part in this film?

Initially, I was reluctant to take on a role that addresses the refugee crisis. Because more often than not, you see films about this issue where the savior is a white character who rescues people from their war-torn life.

But with this script, Ben Sharrock really puts Omar, the character that I play, into the forefront of the story, he takes his own decisions and I have never read a script about the refugee crisis where I have laughed and cried at the same time.

He really makes it relatable, even to a Western audience. It’s important to bridge that gap between the West and the East because this is a global problem not just a Middle Eastern problem, it’s everybody’s responsibility.

Speaking of relatability, do you think that asylum seekers and refugees would relate to this movie?

What’s great about the film is that there is a constant reminder that Omar would rather be back home and it’s really important because more often than not you get a sense from other films that they (refugees) are taking up space.

But in this film, we are constantly reminded how rich in culture Syria is. And that is something that I love, having that in place, especially to a Western audience, it shows how much we’ve got our own thing going on.

The movie tackles the theme of “identity” and you were born in Egypt but raised in London, UK. Did you ever struggle with your identity?

Definitely. I sometimes felt that I was too Egyptian to be British and too British to be Egyptian, but in my core and in my heart I feel very Egyptian. My parents couldn’t be more Egyptian, and I have come to embrace having those two kinds of cultures combining together. I get to pick the best out of both.

You have been focusing lately on Western and international films, but you made your debut in Egypt years ago with Ramadan Mabrouk Abo El Alamein Hamouda and El Talata Yashtaghalounaha. Are you planning on doing more projects in the Middle East?

I would absolutely love to come back and do something in Egypt. In fact I was offered a Ramadan 30-episode series, but I had to pull out due to a scheduling conflict with a couple of projects I am doing next year. I was gutted but I am considering stuff and I am always looking at coming back.

What other projects do you have in the pipeline?

I have an upcoming Netflix series called The One, where I play a character called Benjamin and it’s my first lead in a TV series and it’s in the UK. I feel that there is progress there, in the sense of being stereotyped but regardless of playing someone British, Egyptian or Arab, it’s all about the character and the story and whether they are in the crux of the story, the main focal point or if they move the story forward in some way, that’s what’s important to me.

I also have a new independent film and hopefully, I will try and bring that here in Cairo. And maybe a play, we’ll see as theatre is in a very tight rope at the moment because of the pandemic. But hopefully, it can survive and make a comeback because I love the stage and theatre.

First of all congratulations, and second of all how does it feel to win a BAFTA Breakthrough Award?

To win a BAFTA breakthrough and to be one of the five actors that were chosen as the actors of the future is a huge privilege and honor. It’s a very tough industry to crack and it’s been very hard abroad. Even though they see me as a Londoner, I still don’t look like your typical Brit so I had to put double the effort in the room when I was in casting and sitting around blonde and blue-eyed actors.

I have to pay thanks to all the casting directors and directors who put a lot of faith in me and Ben Sharrock, the director/writer of Limbo, and the producers BFI and MUBI who put my name forward as one of the actors of the future in BAFTA. It’s a recognition and it puts you on a worldwide platform, and I am super proud.

Quickfire Round:

Your favorite Egyptian dish?

Molokheya and duck.

Song that you have on repeat at the moment?

Ekhwaty! That one, what’s it called?

Sea or mountain?

Sea

Theatre or cinema?

Don’t do this to me. Cinema though.

Winter or summer?

I am a Leo, so of course I am going to say summer.

Dreams or reality?

Makes dreams a reality.

Watch the video interview

Credits:

Photography: Raghda Elsayed
Stylist: Maria Fathy
Makeup: Yomna Katary
Location: Grand Nile Tower
PR: Marwa elsawy

Ahmed Magdy: The Multi-faceted Star of Curfew

Fun, adventurous and hardworking Cynthia Khalifeh started out in her career when she was only 11 years old. She first popped on to the scene as a host on MTV Lebanon, before appearing in multiple films and TV shows. Her latest project Wadi El Jinn will be released on Viu in 2021.

By Mariam Elhamy

You started out at a very young age; how challenging was it and how do you think you’ve developed since then?

When you grow up in the spotlight, it’s definitely challenging especially when everyone else your age is doing something different. You’re supposed to please others, present something meaningful and you’re always watched.

All this definitely affected me somehow, but I’m happy with the balance I’ve reached with the help of my family and the environment I surround myself with. It’s very important to always remember to surround yourself with real friends and family to maintain the balance between the industry and your personal life.

I think it’s more challenging now as an adult though because I think more, I judge better and I consider risks better. When you are young, all you think about is just doing the thing you love.

How was it hosting a show on MTV Lebanon? Would you go back to hosting?

Yes, I will definitely go back to hosting, perhaps a concept of my own someday. I really love hosting because it’s me, Cynthia Khalifeh, personally talking to the public and not a character I am portraying.

Right now I’m focusing on acting, but I really appreciate the influence that comes with fame, and I truly believe we have to use this influence for good. So yes, I believe that I will go back to hosting someday to be able to speak directly with the public because I have a lot to say.

In your personal life, what are your hobbies and interests?

I like to go out a lot, to travel to new places or do something active outside home. Also, I love people; I love my friends and family. I love food, I love music and dancing so in my free time at home I’m either watching something or listening to music all day long.

What do you think are the pros and cons of being a celebrity?

The pro is that our hobby is our profession. We do what we love to do, which is really good. The con is that you get to a point where you don’t really own your life fully. Your life becomes scattered between your own personal life, what the people are expecting from you and what your work is requiring from you.

Our job isn’t that easy, I don’t own my schedule or my time and it’s impossible to plan ahead for what I want to do and it’s been that way for the last good 10 years of my life. The con is the unstable lifestyle, but having my hobby be my profession is something I’m very grateful for.

We’ve seen you under many different lights, which character did you relate to the most?

I try to put a bit of me in every role but I really relate to the roles that are a bit more complex maybe because I’m a complex person or maybe because I like a challenge and I like to be varied, so the more the role is well-detailed and written in a different way the more I love to play it better.

Which film genre do you love the most?

It keeps on changing but today I’m really into fantasy and thrillers. What you see on international online platforms is what’s working and what’s being very well marketed, it’s what’s new to the eye and it’s more complex and appealing so yes I’m going with the flow.

What do you think makes an actress successful?

One: Perseverance, because it’s a very hard path, for every 20 noes there’s one yes. No matter how big you are you always want to do something and you won’t get it. So perseverance is the key.

Two: Discipline for sure, because along the way life can take you to many different paths and places and the light, attention, lifestyle or money could blind you, so you have to maintain yourself or else you’ll wake up late to shoots or you won’t be there and this will ruin your career forever.

Making the right decisions at the right time is very important too, saying no to some projects and being selective is okay and might bring something better afterwards. So basically perseverance, discipline and the passion that never goes away.

Who do you look up to?

Ultimately my role model is my mom, although she’s working in the medical field. She’s amazing, supportive and smart. In my own industry, I love Meryl Streep a lot, not because everyone loves her but because in every role she’s a completely different person. She’s always up for the challenge and doesn’t mind being ugly or insane for some of her characters.

We’re surrounded by many beautiful ladies who are probably talented but don’t push themselves to play unconventional roles. Nobody looks good when they’re depressed, tired, sad or in a breakup, so I like actors who are not afraid to do that on the screen.

What do you think of Wadi El Jinn and of your role?

Honestly, Wadi El Jinn is a forward-thinking film, it’s definitely going to be the hit of the season because of all its components. It’s is the first-ever pan-Arab fantasy thriller with 75% of its stakes being CGIs and after-effects that are done in post-production.

Meaning that some of the characters are animated and are created in after effects after the actual shooting takes place, this makes the show way too big for anything that has ever been done before under the genre of thriller-fantasy. I proudly compare it to Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings, I think it’s the new GOT of the Arab world.

On the other hand, the writing is incredible! I’ve never read a script so complicated yet so well structured. It was being rewritten for over two years in the writers’ room so it’s not a monopoly of one guy’s writing. We all participated in our characters and their development.

It’s just different than anything I’ve ever done before. It’s on an online platform for a new fresh audience and I really believe it’s going to be good, please watch it on Viu in 2021!

How was it acting with characters that aren’t there or pretending that something is chasing you for example?

Well, it’s kind of insane. When you see a person talking to the wall it looks insane, but it’s also such a huge acting experience. In one scene we had to face a huge crowd of horses or monsters coming to kill us and of course none of this existed in the studio.

It’s called creative acting and it’s one of my favorite kinds of acting because it’s actually what I’ve studied. It’s cool just imagining all of this happening around you when you’re in front of a green wall. It was hard at the beginning for everyone to understand what we were doing but with time it got easy and we try to be creative with it.

Describe yourself in three words

Ambitious. Genuine. Clumsy.

Quickfire round

First celebrity crush?

Johnny Depp

Dusk or dawn?

Dusk

Do you snore?

I do 

Place you most want to travel to

Los Angeles, Hollywood again.

Favorite junk food?

Burgers

Favorite childhood TV show?

Ed, Edd and Eddy

Favorite season?

Summer

Last Halloween costume you wore?

A character from the 60s

Cookies or brownies?

Brownies of course!

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Vanilla

Can you say a word in Spanish?

Como estas? I can say a sentence!

Do you believe in fate?

Are you sure you want me to answer in one word? That’s very hard. Um… I don’t.

Favorite number?

16

Would you want to live forever?

Yes.

Marwan Younis Talks Dreams, Cheese, and Money