Ya Hanouni

Interview with directors Lyna Tadount and Sofian Chouaib

1. What was one of the most challenging moments you faced while making this film? Did this ‘setback’ change the direction of the final story?

As on every set, time was the most challenging issue during the making of our film. We couldn’t do many rehearsals or to test the framing and lighting of the shots. This constraint made us realise that our second lighting setup didn’t work as we had imagined. But thanks to Lyna (the director) and Axel (the DOP), they improvised a new lighting composition on the set that worked much better than what we had imagined during the writing process. So in the end, this “setback” became an opportunity to improve the conception of our project.

2. What was the biggest inspiration behind your short film?

The situation in the Middle East, and more specifically the ongoing genocide in Palestine, inspired us to make this short film. We felt the urgent need to take action with the means available to us, and the best way was to tell this story through cinema. We saw the media neglecting Middle East people, and we felt the urge to tell the facts and to respond to the dehumanisation of Middle East people, especially Palestinian people.

3. Let’s say you had to make this film all over again. Knowing what you know now, is there one thing you’d do differently? And if there’s nothing you’d change, what have you learnt since finishing the film that you didn’t know on day one?

It’s normal to have things we would like to change after finishing a film, even to correct some mistakes. But there is also a kind of beauty in the fact that not everything can be changed, because it shows that this short film is the result of all the crew’s efforts, with the time and budget we had at that moment. Therefore, the most valuable lesson is to trust the process and to accept all the outcomes.

4. At its core, can you tell us what Ya Hanouni is about, and what do you hope audiences will discover when they come to see the film?

Ya Hanouni is about the beauty of a family, but also its resilience. We sincerely hope that the audience feels both empathy and unease. More than anything, we want viewers to pause and reflect, not just on the story we've told, but on the reality that inspired it. If the film can resonate on a human level and open even a small window into a larger truth, then its purpose is fulfilled.