Hala provides new understanding for psychological trauma in Egypt's cinema

(MENAFN- Daily News Egypt) We usually hear about traumatic accidents that leave people unconscious for weeks, months, or even years. But have you ever asked yourself how to help someone who has experienced trauma? Or how this may significantly affect their life?

In their six-minute-short movie Hala (Arabic for ''a case''), a group of mass communication students at the Canadian International College decided to tackle the emotional and psychological traumas people may experience, and how they may endanger their lives dramatically.

“Our movie is based on a real story of a girl who lost her boyfriend after a fierce battle with cancer,” says Mamdouh Noweir, the director of the movie. “The movie shows how some people experience hallucinations and delusions when they encounter any kinds of shocks or traumas that their minds cannot adapt to,” he added.

Although the movie was basically produced as a graduation project, the director intends to participate in a number of local and international film festivals in Dubai and Morocco to educate the biggest number of people about the impact of trauma, and how it may lead to severe consequences.

“Hala'' is the work of a group of mass communication students at the Canadian International College
(Photo Handout to DNE)

“Entering the professional filmmaking field in Egypt is a complicated process that requires a lot of patience and effort. I once heard that in order to hold a camera in a movie, you have to be a graduate of the Higher Institute of Cinema. That is why I will apply to join the institute in the coming semester,” he noted.

To produce their short movie, the crew encountered a lot of problems. They needed some professional cinema cameras and had to find suitable locations for shooting. Some of the scenes were shot in their homes. “In spite of all the hardships, this movie was a good opportunity for some amateur actors and cameramen to prove their talent. Actually, our crew included students and trainees from different acting workshops,” he added.

In his opinion, there are a lot of talented filmmakers who need a real chance to showcase their innovative vision. “Attention must be paid to the new generations of actors, script writers, cameramen, and directors. Such talented artists can improve the quality of the upcoming cinema productions,” he explained.

In spite of the praise the movie got, Noweir believes that the next step is always more important. “We are currently working on a new short movie that tackles the increasing phenomenon of atheism in our society. We want to produce a movie that touches upon people’s problems, and we chose this topic because it resonates with a large segment of Egyptians nowadays,” he concluded.