Abdulaziz Alshlahei: when place becomes one of the story's heroes

Abdulaziz Alshlahei began his feature fiction career with “Zero Distance”, which won the Mahmoud Abdel Aziz Award for Best Artistic Achievement at the Alexandria Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries.

Then came “Had Al-Tar”, set at the end of the 1990s, about the love of an executioner's son for the daughter of a popular wedding singer. It took about three years to complete, was shot in real locations, and screened at the Cairo International Film Festival.

In “Hobal”, Alshlahei continued his interest in Saudi environment and identity. “Aks Seir” (2026) is an action comedy set in the world of a cash-transport company, shot on real locations in the Eastern Province, and marks his fourth collaboration with writer Mufarrej Al-Majfal.

Alshlahei tells Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that place is one of the story's heroes, and that environment affects the characters' behavior and rhythm as much as dialogue does. So he usually chooses the location before writing, although he chose the Eastern Province for “Aks Seir” after the first draft of the script was complete.