After producing four successful short films directed by Morad Mostafa, Egyptian Producer Sawsan Yusuf completed her first feature film, "Aisha Can't Fly," which was selected by the Cannes Film Festival last year to compete in the "Un Certain Regard" section. This year, Sawsan takes part in the Berlinale Talents program, hoping to take new professional steps.
How were you selected for the Berlinale Talents?The journey started years ago. I first applied to Berlinale Talents when I produced my first short film, “Hennat Ward.” (en. "Henna Rose") I knew the program accepts talents who have already taken solid steps in their careers, but I kept applying annually and was rejected four times. Finally, I was accepted this year after the first feature I produced, "Aisha Can't Fly Away", was selected at Cannes last year.
But this isn’t the first time one of your films was selected at Cannes. The short film “Issa” participated in Critics’ Week and won an award, correct?
At that time, the film’s director, Morad Mostafa, was chosen to participate in Berlinale Talents. After the feature film, they finally selected the producer. Honestly, I feel that this current phase is the most suitable for my professional journey, because I now want to move beyond the idea of producing only for Murad Mostafa—my husband and artistic partner—and produce films for other directors as well. This isn’t due to any frustration felt by working with Morad, but rather a desire to expand and explore new creative minds. I hope Berlin will help me take that step, in addition, of course, to meeting potential producers for Morad’s second film, “Animals,” which I see as more difficult to finance than the previous film.
How can financing a second film be more difficult than a first for a director?
It may sound strange, but the truth is that the industry is currently obsessed with what we might call the “director’s virginity.” Everyone wants to discover a new talent and present them to the world. A first film experience may be successful, but it can also make some hesitant to work with you—either because they didn’t like the film, it didn’t meet their expectations, or they assume you are already partnered with certain production entities and don’t need their support. Of course, starting from a director’s third film, you enter a completely different world, since most funding bodies are directed toward first and second features only. So far, I feel that the second film is harder than the first.
You’ve participated in many film and script development programs. Have you taken part in any personal talent development programs?
This experience is completely new for me. What I like about Berlinale Talents is that it supports networking and helps you build relationships with people you might not easily meet through the usual professional path. I feel challenged to choose among the many lectures, workshops, and opportunities available in the program, but I’ll generally focus on international co-production. I’ll also focus on introducing myself to the world as a screenwriter—I co-wrote "Aisha Can't Fly Away" and other films—because I believe this aspect of my work is less known compared to my role as a producer.
“Aisha Can't Fly Away” could be classified as a genre film, even horror. Why did you decide to start producing feature films with this rare genre in Arab cinema?
I’ve always loved horror films throughout my entire life. When I started working, my goal was always to make films that I claim I would still love to watch twenty years later with the same enthusiasm. The choice wasn’t easy—we took our time thinking about it. In fact, the idea for our new project, "Animals", was already present, and we weighed it against "Aisha" to decide which path to take for our first feature.
It wasn’t easy to convince partners about the film, especially within Egypt, where they found it different from what they were used to fund. Internationally, it was easier; in fact, the project was received more warmly than the film itself after completion. Perhaps we made a film that differed slightly from what some people expected.
Does that mean that if you could go back in time, you and Morad would change any choices in “Aisha”?
Not at all. We feel satisfied with everything about the film, and we’re looking forward to taking the next step with “Animals.” The question that has preoccupied us since our first short film is: how do humans behave when placed under pressure, and what generates violence between them? Most likely, we will continue revisiting this idea that fascinates us.
February 2026