The Furnace

Writer-director Roderick MacKay came across Ahmed Malek, a highly regarded actor from Egypt, when searching the internet for Middle Eastern actors. He stumbled upon an Egyptian serial drama in which Malek starred. MacKay said: "Even though I couldn't understand a word anyone was saying, I was totally glued to his performance and felt immediately that I'd found our Hanif. Luckily Malek adored the script and the character of Hanif really resonated with him, even mirroring dimensions in his own life. Malek's commitment to authenticity and plumbing the intellectual and emotional depths of Hanif was truly staggering. Malek is a household name in his homeland of Egypt, and I think this will be the case across the western world very soon."