Rotten Blood
Narrative Short
Short
Directed by: Tarek El Sherbeny
Description: Berlinale Talents Durban - Short Film Script Station 2023 Project.
(Inspired by a true story.)
Logline: In a conservative neighborhood in Cairo, The life of Mona -a single mother with sex addiction- is turned upside down after her brother threatens to accuse her of adultery If she refuses to forfeit her ownership of their deceased father's house.
Synopsis: In order to satisfy her sexual needs after her divorce, Mona meets her secret lover Yahiya in his house. Their religious neighborhood obliges them not to be seen outside as they're not married. While they are together, her brother Hazem breaks into the house. He gives her the choice of waiving her total ownership of their deceased father's house, or her sexual affairs will be exposed to her ex husband.
Mona refuses, defending their father's decision to give her full ownership was to secure the life of her baby girl. Hazem argues that what the old man did was against Islam as it is his right to get 2/3 of the ownership. Mona offers him his share, but Hazem declines, demanding the full control over the house. It's his only way to escape the country's economic crisis and start a new life outside of Egypt. The situation escalates into chaos while Mona is looking for a way out of this misery.
Short
Directed by: Tarek El Sherbeny
Description: Berlinale Talents Durban - Short Film Script Station 2023 Project.
(Inspired by a true story.)
Logline: In a conservative neighborhood in Cairo, The life of Mona -a single mother with sex addiction- is turned upside down after her brother threatens to accuse her of adultery If she refuses to forfeit her ownership of their deceased father's house.
Synopsis: In order to satisfy her sexual needs after her divorce, Mona meets her secret lover Yahiya in his house. Their religious neighborhood obliges them not to be seen outside as they're not married. While they are together, her brother Hazem breaks into the house. He gives her the choice of waiving her total ownership of their deceased father's house, or her sexual affairs will be exposed to her ex husband.
Mona refuses, defending their father's decision to give her full ownership was to secure the life of her baby girl. Hazem argues that what the old man did was against Islam as it is his right to get 2/3 of the ownership. Mona offers him his share, but Hazem declines, demanding the full control over the house. It's his only way to escape the country's economic crisis and start a new life outside of Egypt. The situation escalates into chaos while Mona is looking for a way out of this misery.
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Filmmaker Bio:
Tarek El SherbenyTarek El Sherbeny is an award-winning filmmaker. He is the recipient of the Golden Tower Award from the Cairo International Short Film Festival. Tarek is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents Campus in Durban. He earned his bachelor's degree in engineering from German University in Cairo, then he decided to pursue his passion for cinema. His work explores themes of religion, sex addiction, and family conflicts in modern-day Egypt. His debut short film, "HE'S DEAD NOW," screened at the renowned Lincoln Center and BAMcinématek as part of the 30th and 31st New York African Film Festivals, respectively. The film went on to receive 5 awards and got selected at 30 international film festivals, including Goya-qualifying Almería in Spain, Film Africa in London, AfryKamera in Warsaw, Yerevan Shorts in Armenia, Festival des Cinmasd A friquede Toulouse and Film Court Francophone de Vaulx-en-Velin in France In 2024, he founded his production company, BODY OF WORK FILMS, which was behind his sophomore short film, "ROTTEN BLOOD," which premiered at the Cairo International Short Film Festival in Egypt.
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