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Project Detail

The Idol (Ya Tayr El Tayer)

Synopsis

A young boy in Gaza, Mohammad Assaf, dreams of singing in the Cairo Opera House with his sister and best friend, Nour. One day, Nour collapses and is rushed to the hospital where it is discovered that she needs a kidney transplant. Nour leaves Mohammad with a dying wish that someday, he will sing in Cairo. Escaping from Gaza to Egypt against unbelievable odds, Assaf makes the journey of a lifetime.
Directed by Academy Award® nominee Hany Abu-Assad and based on the incredible true story of Mohammad Assaf, the Gazan wedding singer who became a worldwide sensation after winning 'Arab Idol' in 2013.
Toronto International Film Festival 2015 - World premiere

Details

Year
2015
Type of project
Features
Running time
100 mins
Director
Hany Abu-Assad
Producer
Ali Jaafar, Amira Diab
Co-Producer
Baher Agbariya
Executive Producer
Badr Jafar, Bashar Masri, Harold van Lier
Editor
Eyas Salman
Screenwriter
Hany Abu-Assad, Sameh Zoabi
Director of Photography
Ehab Assal
Production Designer
Nael Kanj
Sound
Supervising Sound Editor: Lee Herrick; Sound Re-recording Mixer: Richard Pryke
Composer
Music Editor: Robin Morrison
Principal cast
Qais Atallah, Hiba Atallah, Ahmad Qassim, Abdelkarim Abu Baraka, Tawfeek Barhom, Saber Shreim, Ahmed Al Rokh, Nadine Labaki

Genre

Drama

Categories

Fiction

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

UK, Palestine, Qatar, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates coproduction

Idol Film Production Ltd (UK), 03 FZ LLC (UAE), Cactus World Film (UK)

Idol Film Production Ltd

c/o Seville International

Sales Company

Seville International

455, St-Antoine West Suite 300
H2Z 1J1 Montreal
Quebec
Canada

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