Mohamed Diab
| Mohamed Diab | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | Ismailia, Egypt |
| Nationality | Egypt |
| Education | New York Film Academy |
| Occupation | writer and director |
Mohamed Diab is a writer and director whose work often centers on pressing issues concerning Egyptian society. He is known for his directorial debut film Cairo 678 (Les Femmes du bus 678), which was released a month before the Egyptian revolution and was described by the New York Times as "unmistakably a harbinger of that revolution."Paulo Coehlo tweeted about the film calling it "brilliant" and saying "it should be mandatory for men, regardless of their religion/culture, to watch it".
Diab wrote the blockbuster Egyptian franchise El Gezeira (The Island) films which are the highest grossing Egyptian and Arabic films of all times. The films revolve around a tyrannical drug lord on an island in Upper Egypt. El Gezira is often quoted and referenced in Egyptian pop culture and was the 2007 Egyptian nomination for the Academy Awards. Aside from filmmaking, Diab is known for his vocal participation in the 2011 Egyptian revolution, which earned him a Webby Award.
El Gezeira, released in 2007, is inspired by the true story of the rise of a ruthless drug lord who lived on an island in Upper Egypt. The film set box office records and is often referenced in Egyptian pop culture. The sequel El Gezeira 2, released in 2014, begins with the escape of the drug lord from prison during the Egyptian revolution and his rebound to power back home on the island. The film set new Egyptian box office records becoming the highest grossing Egyptian and Arabic film of all times.
Cairo 678 marks Diab's directorial debut. The film follows the intertwining stories of a vigiliante trio of women who take on the sexual harassment epidemic in Cairo. The film was released in December 2010 and is considered the most award-winning contemporary Egyptian film. The film was distributed internationally and fared well notably in France, where it sold 265,000 tickets and received ÉcranTotal's "coup de foudre du public" audience recognition.
After being heavily involved in the 2011 Egyptian revolution, Diab wanted to make a film about the revolution. It took 4 years to develop Eshtebak (Clash), which initially was a film about the rise of the revolution, but ended up being a film that captures the fall of the revolution. The film is set in the violent aftermath of the ouster of president Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood party. Violent clashes had erupted all over Egypt between Muslim Brotherhood supporters and military supporters.
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