In this Ramadan drama season there have been many beautifully crafted dramas and comedies, most limited to 15 episodes. This format makes room for more well-paced titles compared to the 30-episode format of the past. Welad Al-Shams (Children of the Sun), screened at the first half of Ramadan, for example, has generated so much interest it is already a classic.
A quick scroll through the various social media platforms reveals how engaged with it and other shows the audience has been, reflecting the industry regaining its strength through new blood – screenwriters, directors and photographers as well as actors – and justifying the hype.
The second half of the month saw Lam Shamseya (Elephant in the Room), which tackles the sensitive issue of child molestation. Named for the “l” sound in the Arabic definite article, which is not pronounced when followed by certain letters including “sh” as in shams or sun – hence shamseya – its poster, designed by Karim Adam, features the entire crew with one child at the centre in front, framed by a wing-like design.
Directed by Karim Al-Shennawi and written by the Sard workshop, headed by Mariam Naoum, the series follows the couple, Nelly (Amina Khalil) and Tarek (Ahmed Al-Saadani), and the two children, Yassin and Youssef, the latter (played by Ali Al-Beili) Tarek’s child from a previous marriage, though Nelly feels responsible for him in all matters, including at school, where she works as a teacher. The problem is that Nelly is an introvert who prefers to hide and suppress her feelings, even with her husband. This was evident in the early episodes when she blamed him for missing an appointment that turned out to have to do with her being pregnant (she hadn’t told him); and when he told her he would rather focus on the two children they already had she did not express her disappointment and displeasure. Nelly has terrifying nightmares, but it isn’t clear what she is frightened of.
Youssef is a troubled child, less than ten years old. His biological mother – who has her own family – is absent from his life, and because he is getting into fights he is frequently sent to the school principal Mrs Nadia (Safaa Al-Toukhi), also the mother of Tarek’s best friend Wessam (Mohamed Shahine), a college professor who helps Youssef with his Arabic, and plays a significant role in his life, effectively communicating with him in ways that Nelly can’t. Wessam disapproves of Tarek’s affair with his colleague Nehal (Tharaa Gobeil) but helps him cover it up. Wessam’s wife Rabab (Youssra Al-Louzi), a friend of Nelly’s, is mentally ill and often drowsy from too much medication.
At the end of a birthday party at Nelly and Tarek’s where Wessam and Rabab as well as Mrs Nadia are gathered and the pleasant, warm atmosphere is marred only by the presence of Youssef’s mother Heba (Assil Omran), Nelly sees something through the glass that makes her scream, shouting that Wessam is molesting Youssef. This leads to Tarek striking Wessam, putting him in a coma and going to jail as a result. Things slowly return to normal as Nelly grapples with her uncertainty about what she saw, and Wessam and Tarek resume their friendship.
Rabab’s story is a parallel plot line: Wessam, who has convinced her she needs psychiatric help, is constantly present during her therapy sessions: while he is in a coma she confesses to the psychiatrist (played by real-life psychiatrist Nabil Al-Qot) that she is not comfortable with his presence, but the next time when the psychiatrist asks him to leave the room she is frightened and asks him to let him back in. Meanwhile their daughter Zeina (Yasmina Al-Abd) discovers a hidden camera in her bedroom.
Nelly too starts seeing a psychiatrist because of her inability to be intimate with Tarek, but she denies having faced any trauma as a child when the psychiatrist suggests that is the root of the problem. The scene quickly shifts to her and Tarek’s divorce after Rabab catches Tarek with Nehal and their affair is uncovered. Later Nelly sees Youssef playing an inappropriate game with his younger brother Yassin, which Youssef eventually confesses to playing with an adult though he will not say who. His parents seek the help of a psychaitrist played by Ali Kassem.
The drama also sheds light on the dangers of the online games like the ones Youssef is addicted to; many feature chat functions that allow players to communicate, which may enable predators to groom children, making them vulnerable to sexual advances or exploitation. Children may not fully understand the implications of sharing personal information or engaging in conversations with strangers. This lack of awareness can result in them being targeted by individuals with bad intentions, leading to confusion, fear and anxiety.
Ali Al-Beili as Youssef, gives a somewhat bland performance, which might be intentional, to mimic the affect of a sexually abused child whose main form of self expression is playground violence. He is especially resentful of Ismail when he feels Wessam’s attention shifting to him. Behind the scenes, the TV series Lam Shamseya collaborated with Sara Aziz, a certified psychosocial counsellor with a master’s degree in psychotherapy and a diploma in counselling survivors of sexual abuse, to support Al-Beili, safeguarding his emotional and psychological stability through filming.
Shahine’s performance is brilliant, subtle enough to keep the viewer wondering, while Ahmed Al-Saadani is able to bring tears to the viewer’s eyes while staying rational and level-headed as the confused father facing too many challenges. Amina Khalil too is playing one of her lifetime’s roles, and I expect Youssra Al-Louzi will come into her own once Rabab’s predicament is revealed.
The work generates empathy and raises important issues, something director Karim Al-Shennawi lives up to with one of his most remarkable contributions so far. He is successful in adding an original fingerprint to every scene in this TV series, paying attention to even the smallest details, a process very effectively complemented by the cinematography and lighting and the décor of the house, playing clever tricks in the story.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 27 March, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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