release date October 19 2023
DIRTY DIFFICULT DANGEROUS to hold its Egyptian premiere at Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo
Following a successful commercial release in the UAE and a storied festival tour, the romantic drama film DIRTY DIFFICULT DANGEROUS by Wissam Charaf is set to hold its Egyptian premiere at the Netherlands-Flemish Institute this Thursday, October 19th, at 7 pm in Zamalek, Cairo.
The film follows Ahmed — a Syrian refugee roaming the streets of Beirut searching for metal objects to be recycled, who thought he’d find love with Mehdia, an Ethiopian domestic.
However, in this city, such a story seems almost impossible. Will the couple be able to reclaim their freedom despite Ahmed’s body slowly turning to metal due to a mysterious illness?
The film has already been released in France and screened at nearly 20 prestigious film festivals around the world, winning several awards, including the Europa Cinemas Award at the Venice International Film Festival — where it world premiered — the Audience Award in the Feature Film Category at the Entrevues Film Festival, the MOZAIK Bridging the Borders Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and the Critics Award - Special Mention at the Hamburg Film Festival.
DIRTY DIFFICULT DANGEROUS also received wide critical acclaim locally and internationally, with Allan Hunter from Screen Daily describing it as “slight but intermittently charming,” and that its“lightweight approach to some serious issues creates an awkward mix in places, but, at its best, the film has the lugubrious air of an Aki Kaurismaki film."
Meanwhile, E. Nina Rothe of Moving Image Middle East praised the film, saying "Wissam Charaf's second feature tells the touchingly beautiful story of two human beings who are condemned to carry each other throughout their struggling existence and yet whose paradise lies within one another and the pure love they carry in their burdened hearts."
DIRTY DIFFICULT DANGEROUS was supported by the CNC, Corsica Region, Doha Film Institute, Red Sea Fund, Italy’s Ministry of Culture, Fonds Image de la Francophonie, and MEDIA. It was also awarded a complete promotion package from the Red Sea International Film Festival, received the Award of the French Institute in Tunisia from the Carthage Pro Professional platform, the Arte Prize in the Busan Film Festival, and the CNC Award in the Dubai Film Connection.
Directed by Wissam Charaf, who co-wrote it with Hala Dabaji and Mariette Désert, the film stars Clara Couture, Ziad Jallad, Rifaat Tarabay and Darina Al-Joundi. It is produced by Aurora Films, Né à Beyrouth Films, and Intramovies. Additionally, MAD Solutions manages the film’s distribution in the Arab world, while Intramovies manages the international sales.
Wissam Charaf is a French Lebanese director, cameraman, and editor. In 1998, he began to work with the French/German network ARTE as a news cameraman, editor, and journalist. He has since covered major conflict areas ranging from Lebanon to Darfur, Afghanistan, and North Korea, working on programs like ARTE Info, ARTE Reportages, Metropolis, and Tracks.
He also worked as an assistant director with Danielle Arbid and on music videos with French director Henri-Jean Debon for artists such as Noir Desir, Sinead O'Connor, and the Asian Dub Foundation.
After that, Charaf directed six short fiction films — HIZZ YA WIZZ, A HERO NEVER DIES, AN ARMY OF ANTS, AFTER (awarded in Pantin, Brive), UNFORGETTABLE MEMORY OF A FRIEND (awarded in Pantin, Clermont-Ferrand, Rhode Island, and pre-selected for Best Short Film in the Cesar 2020), and DON’T PANIC (Clermont-Ferrand) — as well as the documentary IT’S ALL IN LEBANON.
His first feature film, HEAVEN SENT, was selected at the ACID section of the 2016 Cannes Festival. Currently, he is working on his new short.
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