By Ingy Ashraf,
Dr. Peter Takla, director of the “Husband for Sale” movie, in an exclusive interview with Al-Mawq3
We did an interview with Dr. Peter Takla, director of “Husband for Sale” movie. It is an Egyptian comedy movie that was filmed and will be screened in the US.
The movie is produced by Media Ave Studios, starring actor Ayman Mansour, actor Tamer Faltaos (baba Tamer), actor Mena Maurice, and other newborn actors. Tamer Faltaos (baba Tamer) said it’s the first time for him to preform in a movie, although he starred in plays when he was studying at the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts in Cairo before his immigration to the US.
The full interview with movie director Dr. Peter Takla,
1. Can you tell us more about the “Husband for Sale” movie?
The film includes genres like comedy and fantasy meaning the story is not real and did not happen. The film discusses marital issues in a comedic way, and its message simply speaks about the prevalence of divorce cases and its many reasons. The main question is before we think about separating what if there are other solutions? Will the result of this separation be satisfactory or can we regret the decision after we make it. But of course,in a very comical framework.
2. Can you tell us the idea behind making an Egyptian movie in the US?
First, the idea of an Egyptian film being made in America is not a very new idea, we have done multiple films similar before, but the idea of handpicking egyptian talented actors,living in local states, and making a comedy film, perhaps is the new the subject.
And of course Egyptians are full of passion and energy, and here in Hollywood, the land of filming and movies, so why not, we already have many gifted Egyptians.
So why don’t we make films talking about our society and our ideas and discuss our problems.
3. How were the actors chosen for the movie?
The process of picking the actors was not easy because we were looking for people with real talents, what would be suitable for the character, of course, there are many talented people, but not all will be suitable for the characters in the film especially because it’s a comedy.
We communicated with some actors and sent them part of the script, and we did an audition test then we chose the most talented people suitable for the roles. The unique thing ,in this film and different from any other film that has been made , is that we have gathered talented people from more than one state. The movie was filmed in California, but we had actors like Aymen Mansour from Nashville, Tennessee, Tamer from New York, Dina from Seattle, Washington, Mena Maurice and mariam from California, and Mark from Texas and Jospheen from Virginia.
I contacted them and we set the shooting dates and location then we started the production of the movie.
4. When will the movie be premiered and in which states will it be in theaters?
The film will be premiered on 5th, 6th, and 7th, January and it may continue after that. It will be premiered in Regal Garden Grove and Regal Edwards Rancho San Diego in California, Regal UA Galaxy Dallas in Texas, Regal Meridian Seattle in Washington, Regal Opry Mills Nashville in Tennessee, Regal UA Kaufman Astoria in New York, Regal pointe Orlando in Florida, Regal Firfax Town center in Virginia, and Regal UA commerce Township in Michigan.
After that, we hope that it will extend and be screened in other states, of course, depending on the film, we hope that it will be well received.
5. We would like to know if the film will only be shown in the US or is it possible for it to be shown on platforms or in Egyptian theaters so that people can watch it?
We are in contact with platforms and distribution companies in Egypt, but we do not have anything confirmed at the moment. As soon as we have something confirmed, we will announce it immediately.
6. Will the film participate in any festivals, such as the Egyptian-American Film Festival?
We will participate in most of the festivals that will be available to us after the release of the film in theaters, including the Egyptian-American Film Festival. There will be many other festivals, both American and Arab festivals, because the film is subtitled in English, which gives it a chance to extend and be seen in more festivals.
The festival will decide whether or not to approve the film to participate based on many perquisites, each festival has its own criteria.
7. Have you ever thought about directing a film or TV series in Egypt?
Of course, if the opportunity is available and the conditions are suitable for me to come and shoot or direct a film in Egypt, why not?
It depends on the storyline of the film or series, the story, there are several considerations that determine this decision, whether it is possible to do it or not.
8. Since you are a pharmacist, can you tell us whether you prefer working as pharmacist or film director?
Indeed, I am a pharmacist and a director at the same time. Of course, being a movie director is my passion and the thing that I love to do most, but in the US, life requires that a person to work more than one job, this is normal here in America.
The first job covers life expenses, and the second job is my passion, but my target is for filmmaking to be my full-time job. I am working towards achieving this ,but I haven’t reached this stage in my life yet.
9. How long did it take to prepare for the movie?
I would say it took about a year since we first started writing the storyline up to its release. It took about three months to write the film, then three or four months of preparation for the film, including casting, location scouting, and agreements with the cast and crew, and all of those things. We shot the film in 12 days, and then it took about 6 months post production , such as editing, picking soundtracks, and color grading.
10. What do you hope the film achieves?
What I hope is that we use art and our talent to deliver a message.
Even though the genre is comedic, there is a message behind it. If the message reaches the intended people, we may be able to save a family from separating because something that could be easily dealt with. This is our real achievement.
Of course, we want people to like the film, we want to put a smile on people’s faces, that in itself is a success. We want the film to be viewed in many places around the world. We intend that the film reaches not only the Egyptians and arabs in the united states but also Arabs all over the world.Moreover, we want to reach Americans in America, that’s why we made the film subtitled.
To cut it short,we hope the film is seen strongly all over the world, that we receive good feedback, and deliver the message we want to convey.
Finally, Al-Mawq3 team wishes all of the film crew success, and we also hope that the film succeeds throughout the world.
