This Thursday morning, Mohamed Diab’s latest film ‘Clash’ (or ‘Eshtebak’) was selected for screening at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. It will compete in Cannes’s ‘Un Certian Regard’ section. ‘Clash’ will be the sole representative film from Egypt to be played at the festival this year.
Produced in 2016, the film, written and directed by Diab, explores the confrontations between pro and anti-Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators that emerged following the removal of president Mohamed Morsi from power on 3 July 2013.
The film is set entirely inside an overcrowded police truck packed with both pro and anti-Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators detained during one of the massive protests that followed the events of July 3rd, 2013, as crowds celebrated the ouster of MB leader Mohamed Morsi. “The film portrays a very real situation that brings out the worst and best of humanity,” said Diab.
Diab is a writer and director whose work centers on pressing issues concerning Egyptian society. Diab wrote the scripts of several well-known Egyptian films, including El-Gezira 1 and 2 (2007 and 2014) and Decor (2014), among others.
His directorial debut came with Cairo 678 (2010), starring Bushra, Nelly Karim and Maged El-Kedwany.
The 69th Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 11th to May 22nd.