Sherif Noureldin Stars in His First Short Film 'Amar Men El Sehr'

Making his debut into short film is radio presenter, lifestyle influencer and actor Sherif Noureldin, with his latest project, ‘Amar Men El Sehr’. The film follows a girl (played by Hoda El Gebali) who gets abused in different forms including cyber bullying. And who's the abuser? He's surprisingly played by the otherwise bubbly Noureldin himself.

"Here's the thing: a lot of the people that you hear stories about, you'd be very surprised. Really?" Noureldin tells CairoScene. "They say 'He seemed so kind' so that's the exact shock I was looking for during the movie. This is what happens in real life, it happens when you least expect it."

The sensitive topic was nerve-wracking to cover by Noureldin, who previously starred in TV series ‘Khali Balak Men Zizi’ with Amina Khalil, and ‘El Anesa Farah’ (season 3) with Asmaa Abolyazied. He's also set to play a role in the ‘420 Minutes’ series, directed by Hany Khalifa and premiering on Shahid next month. 

Back to Amar Men El Sehr, Noureldin was approached by director Anas Awad with the role of the harasser. At first, he felt like the character was completely unlike him and unlike any of the roles he's ever done. Since Noureldin considers himself as an amateur in acting, but a professional in radio, it was quite a risk to take on the role. After agreeing, he felt a heightened sense of responsibility to go beyond the surface and navigate the ins and outs of what makes an abuser follow through with such heinous actions. 

The motive of the film is wanting the victims to know that they're not alone. "It was so intense that a lot of people cried on set," Noureldin says. "It's based on true stories, and the girls were very much affected and touched by stories that happen every day to girls and guys. They see with their own eyes the magnitude of such incidents. The whole idea is to artistically showcase this, since it's been the talk of the town for quite some time."

Noureldin views both co-star Hatem Reda and director Anas Awad as friends of his, so the experience of working with them was quite pleasant. He credited the latter for the excitement on set, which mirrored Awad's own. When it came to preparing for the role, Noureldin did not find it to be an easy task.

"I was very nervous preparing for it, I was anxious and disturbed afterward. I made it a point to forget any past artistic experiences that I've watched and went with my own feeling,” Noureldin says. “It was method acting more or less. I built a history and a portfolio for this character, and what goes on in his head. It was so draining because it's someone who's on the other side of the spectrum. This someone is completely against my values and my core, and I also have to not judge him while I portrayed him.”

The Egyptian saying "El Zan 3al Wedan Amar Men El Sehr" means that when you keep nagging, you can enchant someone. The film is about someone being at someone's case so much, and what happens next? You'll just have to watch the film to find out. The film is set to premiere next month with details to be announced soon.