After making an impact on the international festival circuit, Seeking Haven for Mr Rambo, the debut feature by Egyptian filmmaker Khaled Mansour, premiered in Egyptian cinemas on 1 January, 2025, with a wider release across the Arab world starting on 6 January.

The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, followed by a screening at the CinemaMed Festival in Belgium, where it won both the Grand Prize and the Jury Award. It continued to earn recognition, securing the Jury Award at the Red Sea Film Festival and receiving a Special Mention at the 35th Carthage Film Days.

The film was produced by Mohamed Hefzi under Film Clinic, with Film Clinic Indie Distribution handling its international release. The film also received industry support, securing funding from the Red Sea Film Fund, the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC), and Fonds Image de la Francophonie.

Written by Mohamed Al-Husseini and Khaled Mansour, Seeking Haven for Mr Rambo stars Essam Omar, Rakeen Saad, Sama Ibrahim and Ahmed Bahaa. It follows Hassan, a young man who must face his fears to save his closest companion, his dog, Rambo, from an uncertain fate.

Back when I met Mansour at this pivotal moment in his career, he showed a mix of anticipation, pride, and restless excitement. Today he faces the challenge of finding its place among mainstream audiences. Despite strong competition from box-office hits led by major stars, Rambo has managed to secure a respectable position in theatres during its first week. For Mansour, this was always the real test—can a film that succeeds at festivals also resonate with a wider audience? His goal, he says, was never just to create a festival favourite but to make a film that speaks to critics and general viewers alike.

Born in Cairo in 1991, Mansour studied history at Cairo University but developed a passion for filmmaking and pursued it independently. He sharpened his skills through film labs and industry programmes, learning from experienced filmmakers. His previous works include short films like Two Strangers, A Night (2022), Berries Island (2018) and The Dervish (2015). Regarding Seeking Haven for Mr Rambo, it all started with a simple image: a young man sitting on a sidewalk, holding his dog in the cold, each alone yet deeply connected to the other. This image stayed with Mansour for years, but the real spark for his film came in 2015 after the Ahram Dog Incident, a shocking event that stirred public outrage in Egypt.

In Shubra Al-Kheima, when a neighbourhood dog ended up biting a man, the victim publicly tortured and killed the animal. “The owner stood by and did nothing,” Mansour recalls. “The dog defended its owner, but the owner didn’t defend the dog.” That thought changed everything for the filmmaker. “I kept wondering, what if the owner had made a different choice? What if he had fought for his dog?” This question became the core of the film, a story in which the boy does not abandon his dog but stands by him to the end.

Writing Seeking Haven for Mr Rambo with Mohamed Al-Husseini was a smooth process for Mansour, thanks to their long friendship and shared vision: “We’ve known each other for years, and as we wrote, we realised how much we think alike. Our tastes, our way of seeing the world—it all matched, making the writing process easy.”

Challenges in co-writing often come from creative differences, but mutual respect keeps things balanced. “Mohamed always understood that as the director and co-writer, I had to look at the film from multiple angles,” Mansour explains. “Even when we disagreed, which was rare, he would always deferred to my vision as the film’s director.” Having worked together before, their dynamic helped the script come together naturally. “There were no major conflicts,” Mansour reflects. “That’s what made the process not just productive, but enjoyable.”

The depth of the screenplay and its characters didn’t happen by chance. It was the result of years of writing, questioning, and refining. “We kept asking ourselves: What do these characters want? Why do they act this way?” Mansour explains. “By the time we finished, we didn’t just know them, we could feel them.”

This process took time, partly because it was the first feature film for Mansour, Al-Husseini, and Rasha Hosni, Hefzi’s coproducer. “We had the space to fully develop the script,” he says. But for future projects, he knows things will move faster. What truly shaped the screenplay was experience: writing, watching films, learning from others, and constantly discussing the characters. “This depth didn’t come overnight,” Mansour reflects. “Every rewrite, every challenge added a new layer until they felt real.”

Working with Hosni wasn’t just professional, it was built on friendship and trust. Though it was her first film as a producer, she handled it with dedication and commitment. “I’ve known Rasha for a long time, and I trust her completely,” Mansour says. “She has a great eye for cinema and a deep understanding of storytelling.”

Beyond her artistic sense, her hard work stood out. “She put everything into this project, never hesitating or slowing down,” he adds. Despite being new to producing, she carried a huge responsibility, especially in securing funding, one of the toughest challenges for independent films. “She fought for this film every step of the way,” Mansour recalls. Her ability to navigate financial challenges while staying engaged in the creative process made her the backbone of the film. Without her, this film wouldn’t have made it to the finish line.”

For Mansour, casting wasn’t just about finding the right actors, it was about breaking expectations. He avoided stereotypical figures, choosing fresh faces instead. “I didn’t want the villain to be played by someone who always plays villains or the good guy to be another typical hero,” he explains. Most of the lead actors, like Essam Omar, Rakeen Saad, and Ahmed Bahaa (Bob), weren’t widely known at the time of casting but gained recognition later. “Bob was famous in music, but not as an actor, and his public persona was the opposite of his character in the film.”

Mansour’s approach to performance was just as unconventional. “People don’t try to show emotions, they try to hide them, and that’s when real emotion comes through,” he explains. He focused on subtle expressions rather than exaggerated reactions.

Rehearsals lasted over a year, with actors analysing the script, discussing their characters, and refining every detail. “We read, debated, and broke down every word to understand its purpose,” Mansour recalls. By the time they reached the set, everything was clear, requiring only minor adjustments during filming. Looking back, he credits his cast with making the process smooth. “I was incredibly lucky,” he says. “They brought an instinct and commitment that made all the difference.”

Directing Rambo came with many challenges, both technical and logistical. “We were filming with dogs, in the streets, on a tight budget, and a very limited schedule,” Mansour recalls. “I had big ambitions, and every day felt like a race against time. But we were lucky, everyone was incredibly talented and worked hard,” he says. The production team was resourceful, the cinematographers were excellent, and the actors were fully committed. Set design and costumes also played a huge role. “We had an amazing production designer and a talented costume designer who paid attention to every detail,” Mansour adds.

For Mansour, Rambo is far more than just a film about a dog. “It’s not just a dog movie!” he says. “It was always about emotion. My feelings towards the world, my generation, my relationships, my city, my family, my friends.” Unlike many films that draw on specific references, Rambo came from a deeply personal place. “I didn’t start with a concept and then add emotions to it,” he explains. “The emotions shaped the story, not the other way around.”

Although Mansour’s filmmaking is deeply personal, he has also been influenced by many great directors from Egypt and around the world. “There are many filmmakers who shaped me at different points in my life,” he says. “From commercial films to art house cinema, each one left a mark in some way.”

From Egypt, he admires Kamal Al-Sheikh, Salah Abu Seif, and Youssef Chahine, but if he had to choose one director he feels closest to, it would be Mohamed Khan. “Khan focused on emotion more than technique, and that resonates with me,” he explains. He also draws inspiration from Dawoud Abdel-Sayed, whose films shaped his approach to storytelling.

Beyond Egyptian cinema, Martin Scorsese and Darren Aronofsky have influenced him, but he is also deeply inspired by Alejandro González Iñárritu and Alfonso Cuarón. Italian cinema holds a special place in his heart, with Paolo Sorrentino and Giuseppe Tornatore among his favourites. Among contemporary filmmakers, Asghar Farhadi stands out as a major influence, and he also admires Paweł Pawlikowski for his unique style and emotional depth.

“In the end, no single director made me want to be a filmmaker,” Mansour says. “Each one influenced me in a different way – through visuals, emotions, or even a single scene.”

Watching Rambo with different audiences around the world has been an eye-opening experience, showing how culture shapes the way people react to a film. “Arab audiences react completely differently from Western audiences,” he explains. “They laugh at the jokes, gasp at intense moments, and even whisper to each other in emotional scenes. Their reactions are instant and full of energy.” This lively interaction makes a difference. “Even when people talk during the film,” he laughs, “you can feel their connection to what’s happening on screen. When Rambo premiered at the Red Sea Film Festival, it felt like I was watching it for the first time.”

Western audiences, by contrast, are much quieter during screenings. “They sit in silence, watching,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean they aren’t engaged. At the Venice Film Festival, the response was incredible – the standing ovation, the way people spoke to me after – and it was clear the film had connected with them in a deep way.”

But nothing can be more fulfilling than seeing Egyptian moviegoers engage with his work in the same way they do with mainstream films, Mansour says. “I’m working hard to make that happen,” he says passionately. “That’s the reason I became a filmmaker in the first place, because at the end of the day, my biggest wish is for the Egyptian audience to go to the cinema, watch Rambo, and experience it on the big screen.”

From the start, Khaled Mansour wanted Rambo to be both artistically strong and accessible to a wide audience. “I always think about the audience first,” he says. “I want to make films that everyone can watch and enjoy. I always say I want to make a film my mother would love. She’s a regular Egyptian woman, not an intellectual or a film expert, who watches films simply to enjoy them.”

For Khaled, making films for a broad audience doesn’t mean losing artistic depth.  “With Rambo, I think we found that balance.” At first, not everyone believed in his vision. “People thought we were crazy,” he recalls. “They said a film either goes to festivals or succeeds with mainstream audiences. You can’t have both.” Now he hopes to prove otherwise. “I want this film to do well commercially and in festivals,” he says. “There is no reason why a film can’t do both.”

The success of Rambo was both exciting and challenging for Khaled Mansour. After spending years on the film, moving on felt overwhelming. “At first, it was terrifying,” he admits. “That fear pushed me to start a new project right away. I began developing my next film as soon as we finished shooting, even before editing Rambo.” He had to break free of Rambo before it took over completely. “I felt stuck inside the film,” he explains. “I needed to focus on something new.”

Now he is both relieved and excited. “I’m enjoying how audiences are reacting to the film,” he says. “But at the same time, I’ve already moved on. I’m working on new films and series, and I can’t wait for people to see them.”

* A version of this article appears in print in the 9 January, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly