Rani Massalha’s ‘The Return of the Prodigal Son,’ About a Coptic Pig Farmer in Egypt, Takes Top Award at Red Sea Souk

Rafa Sales Ross
·7 min read

The third edition of the Red Sea Souk, the market arm of the Red Sea Film Festival, awarded its top prize of $100,000 to “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rani Massalha. Another eight feature projects and two TV series were awarded cash and in-kind prizes as part of the Red Souk Awards.

Massalha’s film, a co-production between Egypt, Tunisia and France, tells the story of Salem, a pig farmer in Egypt who is a Copt — a native Christian community in the country, often persecuted — amidst a breakout of the swine flu in 2009 that sends Egypt into a spiral of psychosis, leading the Mubarak government to pass a law to slaughter all the pigs.

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In a statement, the writer-director said: “The pigs of Egypt were ‘sacrificed’ under political pressure and hysterical media coverage organized by the Muslim Brotherhood, crystalizing the structural violence of Egyptian social relations between communities.”

“Isn’t it written in the Koran that every animal is a creature of God? I don’t intend to treat my story like a documentary that will relate the facts of the ‘pig crisis,’ but rather to tell the story of a character within a Coptic family, in order to reveal its internal dynamics.”

“I intend to make an intimate thriller, from Salem’s unique perspective, following his obsessive need to make the right choices. In his neighborhood, and in the Middle East in general, there is little room for the individual. Personal dynamics are always part of the group. In my story, Salem will emancipate himself from his family, make his own choices, and regain his individuality.”

The producers are Habib Attia, a two-time Oscar nominee with “The Man Who Sold His Skin” in 2021 and “Brotherhood” in 2020, and Marie Legrand, whose films include “Gaza mon amour,” which was in Venice Horizons in 2020, and “Our Lady of the Nile” by Atiq Rahimi, winner of the Crystal Bear at the Berlinale in 2020.

“The Return of the Prodigal Son” is Massalha’s follow-up to directorial debut “Giraffada,” which played the Toronto Film Festival in 2013 and was recently acquired by Netflix.

“The Return of the Prodigal Son” was one of 12 projects to be screened as part of the Souk, with an extra 12 entries selected as part of the Red Sea Lodge, and six projects selected to compete in the Work in Progress section.

Red Sea Film Festival managing director Shivani Pandya opened the awards ceremony by saying: “The Red Sea Souk is the heart of the festival, the genesis of so many projects and the combination of all the Red Sea Film Foundation does all year.” Pandya highlighted a 30% increase in attendance from 2022.

Pandya also underscored the importance of the Souk in supporting projects from the Arab region and Africa, calling films from the region “often overlooked and underfunded.” “We at the Souk take responsibility to recognize the talent.”

In a statement released following the ceremony, Pandya noted the market projects held over 570 meetings and congratulated the 26 winners who “walk away with support for their fantastic work.”

Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said in a statement: “The winners of this year’s Red Sea Souk Awards are the cinematic voices of tomorrow and we are thrilled to play a part in the development of their talent and storytelling which will undoubtedly yield successes and international recognition.”

Other winners of the evening include the MBC Academy/Shahid Award for a Saudi project in development worth $75,000 to Ghadeer Binabbas’ “In the Beginning, It Is the End,” about a 65-year-old who loses her father whom she dedicated her life to taking care of; $50,000 ART Award for one Arab Project in development or production to Danielle Arbid’s “Love Conquers All,” a May-December tale about a widow who falls in love with an illegal immigrant; and $50,000 for each of the winning projects at the Red Sea Lodge: Amaal Youssif’s “By Hasnaa’s Side,” Vincho Nchogu’s “Fantastic Tale,” Naishe Nyamubaya’s “Black Snake” and Fatma Riahi’s “My Father Killed Bourghiba.”

The Souk Project Market jury consisted of director Jasmila Žbanić, Oscar-nominated for “Quo Vadis, Aida?,” French producer Jean Bréhat, Moon a Deal Films’ founder Lamia Chraibi, Senegalese producer Oumar Sall and head of Telfaz 11 Studios Wael Abumansour. The Work in Progress jury was comprised of Italian producer Gaia Furrer, Iraqi-Italian filmmaker Haider Rashid and Kenyan film director Wanuri Kahiu.

Full list of award-winners below:

Arab Cinema Center (ACC)
Two supported places on the International Film Festival Rotterdam Producers Lab
Saudi winner: Ghaidaa Abuazzah (“By Hasnaa’s Side”)
Arab winner: Fatma Racha Shehadeh (“The Girl and Missing Bed”)

MAD Solutions
$50,000 to a project in development, in production or in post-production.
Winner: “Nostalgia: A Life in First Chapters” by Ameer Fakher Eldin

OTICONS
Oticons Award for a Work-in-Progress film consisting of Music Consulting services worth $5,000
Winner: “Men in the Sun” by Mahdi Fleifel

SHIFT STUDIOS
$12,000 Shift Studios awards for a promotion package worth $12,000
Two awards
Winner: “Rising Up at Night” by Nelson Makengo
Winner: “My Semba” by Hugo Salvaterra

$8,000 Shift Studios award consisting of a full DCP package worth $8,000
Winner: “Men in the Sun” by Mahdi Fleifel

TITRAFILM
In kind award for a Work-in-Progress film worth $15,000
Winner: “Animale” by Emma Benestan

Arab Radio and Television Network (ART)
$10,000 ART grant for one Saudi Project in development or production
Winner: “The Night Whisperer” by Lina Mahmoud

$50,000 ART Award for one Arab Project in development or production
Awarded by ART
Winner: “Love Conquers All” by Danielle Arbid

CineWaves Films
$50,000 CineWaves Films Distribution Award for a project in development, production or post-production
Winner: “Mecca, Berlin” by Majtaba Saeed

Ithra
$50,000 Ithra award for one Saudi project in production or post-production
Winner: “The Night Whisperer” by Lina Mahmoud

MBC Academy/Shahid
$75,000 MBC Academy /Shahid Award for a Saudi project in development
Winner: “In the Beginning, It Is the End” by Ghadeer Binabbas

$75,000 MBC Academy /Shahid Award for a Saudi project in development or production or post-production
Winner: “By Hasnaa’s Side” by Amaal Youssif

$50,000 MBC Academy/Shahid Award for an Arab project in development or post-production
Winners: “Madness and Honey Days” by Ahmed Yassin Al-Daradji

Serieslab Awards
$10,000 Red Sea Serieslab Award
Awarded by Serieslab Jury
Winner: “Eye of the Kite” by Saleh Al-Hamad
Winner: “Our Son Is Prettier” by Hanaa Saleh Alfassi

WIP Awards:
Red Sea Souk Post-Production Jury Special Mention Award with a grant of 10.000 USD
Awarded by Red Sea WIP Jury
Winner: “My Semba” by Hugo Salvaterra

Red Sea Souk Post-Production Award with a grant of 30,000 USD
Awarded by Red Sea WIP Jury
Winners: “Yunan” by Ameer Fakher Eldin

Lodge Awards:
$50,000 Red Sea Souk Production Award for a Red Sea Lodge project
Awarded by Project Market Jury
Winner: “By Hasnaa’s Side” by Amaal Youssif
Winner: “Fantastic Tale” by Vincho Nchogu
Winner: “Black Snake” by Naishe Nyamubaya
Winner: “My Father Killed Bourghiba” by Fatma Riahi

PM Awards:
Awarded by Project Market Jury
$25,000 Red Sea Souk Jury Special Mention Award
Winner: “Love Conquers All” by Danielle Arbid

$35,000 Red Sea Souk Development Award
Winner: “When I Close My Eyes, I See Your Eyes” by Sameh Alaa

$100,000 Red Sea Souk Production Award
Winner: “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rani Massalha

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