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Al mosta'mera

The Settlement
Perspectives 2025
© Hassala Films
The 23-year-old Hossam begins working in the factory in Alexandria where his father died in an accident a month previously. The job has been offered to the family as compensation for the father’s death, enabling them to continue having an income. Hossam’s 12-year-old brother Maro insists on accompanying Hossam to the factory and threatens to harm himself if he is held back. At their mother’s insistence, Hossam takes the boy to the factory, meaning Maro abandons his schooling and enters the harsh world of child labour. Hossam shoulders the responsibility for providing for his disabled mother and his younger brother. At the factory, the brothers meet other workers, including Mostafa, who bears partial responsibility for their father’s death. The workers praise the boys’ father but remain wary of the brothers, fearing the two are there to take revenge. In the following weeks, Hossam does everything he can to smooth things over and get on good terms with everyone. But then, another tragic accident takes place and the life he has worked so hard to build slips through his fingers.
by Mohamed Rashad (Director, Screenplay)
with Adham Shoukry, Ziad Islam, Hajar Omar, Mohamed Abdel Hady, Emad Ghoneim, Hanadi Abdel Khalek Egypt / France / Germany / Qatar / Saudi Arabia 2025 Arabic 94' Colour World premiere

With

  • Adham Shoukry (Hossam)
  • Ziad Islam (Maro)
  • Hajar Omar (Abir)
  • Mohamed Abdel Hady (Mostafa)
  • Emad Ghoneim (Karim)
  • Hanadi Abdel Khalek (Mother)

Crew

Director Mohamed Rashad
Screenplay Mohamed Rashad
Cinematography Mahmoud Lotfi
Editing Heba Othman
Music Tony Overwater
Sound Design Mohamed Salah
Production Design Yasser El Husseiny
Casting Adel Raouf
Producer Hala Lotfy
Co-Producers Etienne de Ricaud, Kesmat El Sayed

Produced by

Hassala Films

Caractères Productions

SEERA Films

Doha Film Institute

Red Sea Film Festival Foundation

World Sales

MAD World (a MAD Solutions' company)

Photos

Mohamed Rashad

© Hassala Films

Born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1980. After undertaking a two-year filmmaking workshop at the Jesuit Cultural Film School of Alexandria, he directed two short fiction films. His feature-length debut, the documentary Little Eagles, premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival and won the Best Documentary Award at Malmo. Al mosta’mera is his debut fiction feature film.

Filmography

2005 From afar; short film 2007 Maxim; short film 2016 El nosor el saghera (Little Eagles); documentary 2025 Al mosta'mera (The Settlement)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025