Egyptian actor and filmmaker Amr Waked has made a big name for himself both in his hometown Cairo and in exclusive Hollywood!
But now the actor says that it's time for more Arab stars to follow suit and make it big abroad.
Waked's global film credits include appearing alongside George Clooney in “Syriana,” Kristin Scott Thomas in “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” and Scarlett Johansson in this summer’s sci-fi extravaganza “Lucy.”
However, his latest movie project took him back home, where he starred as a gangster taking on an organ trafficking ring in “El Ott” or “The Cat,” reports Reuters.
The film, which he also produced, premiered at the Abu Dhabi International Film Festival this week. This marks his second collaboration with director Ibrahim al-Batout. The first was in “Winter of Discontent,” which dealt with Egypt’s 2011 uprising.
Waked was heavily active in both the protests that toppled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and in the 2013 protests that led to the overthrow of Islamist President Mohammad Morsi.
In this interview (published by Reuters), the actor speaks about his latest role and why more Arab talent is finding international success.
Q: In your latest movie “El Ott” the themes are quite grim – organ trafficking, street kids and gangsters. Do you feel the situation in Egypt now is as somber as the movie?
A: The problems in Egypt go way back, not just for the past three years since the revolution. They are for the past 60 years and for the years of colonization before that. When you have all these years and a lot of the population learning from their parents before them to accept that they can’t get more rights, it will take more than two or three years to convince them that they can ask for more and get more. But it will happen eventually.
Q: How does making foreign movies differ from making them back at home?
A: It is not different at all, especially when I am working on meaningful films ... Nationalities are not important. Cinema is one religion and I think all cinema people belong to this one religion and one family. I don’t see it any other way.
Filming is like praying – you go in the morning you wash and dress up and get ready for the role and then you go in and do imaginary things in your head to be that role and then you come back out. It’s always the same in every production no matter where you are in the world.
Q: Why do you think we are seeing a lot of Arab actors taking up parts in movies abroad?
A: Well, the world is getting smaller. I didn’t have to go to Hollywood to act there like in Omar Sharif’s time, for example. I’m living in Cairo and go do my role and come back. I don’t have to move there to do it. Also, the world is concerned with us now and looking for stories about Arabs, so that is part of it. The young Arabs in the business are also very talented and they can see how they can be at par with the world much easier and much faster.
Q: What is your goal – more success abroad or at home?
A: My ultimate ambition is to make an Arab movie that is seen everywhere and makes hundreds of millions of dollars. That’s the producer in me speaking.
