His latest feature, Sīrat Ahl al-Ḍay (The Tale of the People of Light), is a striking embodiment of this vision.
Written by Haitham Dabbour, the film follows the lyrical journey of a Nubian albino boy who dreams of singing, despite the burdens of isolation, prejudice, and poverty, as he travels from his village in the far south to the capital.
Featuring rising stars Aseel Omran, Haneen Saeed, Islam Mubarak, and Badr Mohamed, alongside guest appearances by beloved Egyptian actors Ahmed Helmy, Mohamed Mamdouh, and Sabry Fawaz, the film was further elevated by the participation of music icon Mohamed Mounir.
Beyond its cast, Sīrat Ahl al-Ḍay stands out for its fusion of myth, folklore, and contemporary reality. At once intimate and expansive, it is a cinematic meditation on family, love, and belonging, as well as a celebration of Egypt’s cultural diversity.
Ahram Online (AO): Why choose a non-professional albino to play the central role rather than a trained actor?
Karim El-Shennawy: From the very beginning, I knew I wanted someone who had lived this reality, not someone pretending. The story was born with him, and his life lends the role a truth and sensitivity no professional could replicate. Why settle for imitation when you can draw from the source itself?
AO: It took years before filming could finally begin. Why such patience?
El-Shennawy: Making any film takes time, but Ḍay was particularly difficult because it defies market conventions. Many said audiences wouldn’t want such a story. I reject that view.
Cinema must be diverse, and no one has the right to decide on behalf of the public. Millions are hungry for films that break from the formula. After years of struggle, the right circumstances came together, and we received invaluable support from major stars who appeared as guests.
Their faith in the project gave us hope in a difficult moment.
AO: Why persist with such determination?
El-Shennawy: Because the making of Ḍay mirrors the story itself: a journey full of obstacles, yet alive with resilience and hope. The film is not about one individual but about family, love, loss, laughter and romance—the full spectrum of life.
It is a tapestry of emotions, reminding us that even in hardship there is always hope.
AO: What was the greatest directorial challenge you set yourself?
El-Shennawy: To avoid exploiting pain or begging for pity. That was my fear. I wanted authenticity, not sentimentality.
From the first screening, audiences felt the emotions as real. Both Haitham Dabbour and I were determined that the film should connect directly with people—because these are not abstract characters but human beings like millions around us.
In all my work, characters must retain their dignity.
AO: The title Sīrat Ahl al-Ḍay evokes the legendary Sīrat Banī Hilāl. Was that deliberate?
El-Shennawy: There is indeed a resonance. Ḍay is almost a mirror image of the epic of Abu Zayd al-Hilali.
Here, we have an albino boy born into a dark-skinned Nubian community, the opposite of Abu Zayd, who was dark-skinned in a different world. Even the names—Zanati, Aziza—echo that folkloric spirit. It is a mythical journey reframed.
AO: Some interpret the film as a tribute to Mohamed Mounir?
El-Shennawy: Mounir’s voice is the soul of this journey. His artistic path, full of risk and defiance of convention, parallels Ḍay itself. He embodies inspiration and hope, choosing adventure over conformity.
The song Lina Sīra, Lina Ḍay fits him perfectly. It is about individual journeys but also about his own. I am immensely proud that such an icon chose to join this film.
AO: Does the film carry a social dimension by evoking Nubia?
El-Shennawy: Our approach to Nubia is through diversity, not historicism.
The film is not about Nubian history per se, but about celebrating Egypt’s vast mosaic—Nubian, Upper Egyptian, Muslim, Christian—its languages, colours and music.
Ḍay is an ode to Egypt’s plurality, a reminder that anyone, from any background, can be a hero.
Even the soundtrack reflects the character of each place, while the cinematography brings out the vibrant palette of our land.
Short link: