Hany Abu-Assad – director – The Idol
After being nominated for an Oscar twice (Paradise Now and Omar), winning a Golden Globe (Paradise Now) and a Jury prize in the Un Certain Regarad Section of Festival de Cannes (Omar, 2013) director Hany Abu- Assad decided to embark in a new project, different from his previous films, a film written for the big audience with a great hope for a connection.
This is why THE IDOL was born. At the Torino Film Festival, after Toronto and London, the film is based on the amazing true story of Mohammed Assaf, a palestinian refugee from Gaza who, in 2013, won the popular talent show ARAB IDOL.
While telling a great and real story, the film also deals and describes the big responsability that this young man must have carried upon his shoulder since he represented and still represents HOPE for his country.
THE IDOL: Young Mohammad Assaf lives in Gaza with his sister Farrah, who shares his dream of singing one day at the Cairo opera. When Farrah is admitted to hospital for kidney failure, Mohammad promises the girl he will make their dream come true. For the aspiring singer, this is the beginning of a journey in Egypt that will take him to the 2013 edition of the talent show Arab Idol.