All Projects

Poisonous Roses

Fall Grant 2015

Fawzi Saleh / Feature Narrative / Egypt, France, Qatar / 2016 / 70 min / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Women, Drama, Social Issues

Synopsis

Twenty-eight-year-old Taheya works as a washroom cleaner, and lives with her 22-year-old brother Saqr in a tannery neighbourhood. While Saqr has plans to find a life outside his hellish job in one of the tanneries, Taheya hopes to keep him near her. Despite his love for his sister, Saqr does not bow to the pressure she puts on him and begins a relationship with Nahed, a young medical student. Despondent at the new distance between herself and her brother, Taheya turns to magic to bring Saqr back and threatens to kill Nahed. When Saqr returns, Taheya seems happy despite the coldness between them – but she cannot escape the idea that her brother still wants to abandon her.

Credits

Director

Fawzi Saleh

Screenwriter

Fawzi Saleh

Producer

Eman Hameda, Karim Aitouna

Production Company

Haut les Mains Productions

About the Director

Born in Port Saïd, Egypt, in 1981, Fawzi Saleh is a screenwriter, filmmaker and human-rights activist. He holds a degree in screenwriting from the Cairo Film Institute, and has contributed to numerous documentary films as a researcher and co-writer. In 2006, he directed the experimental short film ‘Mocha’, which attracted attention to his talent. A turning point in his career came in 2008 when he worked as an assistant director for Rashid Masharawi, when the director encouraged him to start shooting his first documentary feature, ‘Living Skin’, which he completed in 2010.

Awards and Festival History

Festivals

Rotterdam IFF 2018 (WP)
Le Festival du cinéma africain, d’Asie et d’Amérique Latine 2018, Competition Feature Films
BAFICI 2018
Rotterdam Arab FF 2018
MALMO Arab FF 2018

Awards

Best Film award, Festival de Cine Africano de Tarifa 2018
Efebo d'Oro award, Palermo FF 2018
Egypt's Official Submission for the 2020 Academy Awards - 2019 Best Foreign Language Film Race

Contacts

• Main Contact

  Fawzi Saleh

  Company: 

  ..

  Phone: 

  +201221591379

  Email: 

  a.fawzisaleh@gmail.com

• Main Contact

  Eman Hemeda

  Company: 

  Albatrik Art Production & Cinema Services

  Phone: 

  +2 0168111707

  Email: 

  eman.hemeda@gmail.com

• Main Contact

  Karim Aitouna

  Company: 

  Haut Les Mains Productions

  Email: 

  karim@hautlesmainsproductions.fr

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