Italy’s 102 Distribution (“A School In Cerro Hueso”) has boarded Egyptian filmmaker Shaimaa Elgawady’s debut feature-length documentary “Independent Scene.” It joins first-time producer and the film’s cinematographer, Amr Nazeer, as a production partner and will handle global distribution of the project.
The pickup comes as 102 Distribution is preparing to premiering Carlos Kaiser Eichelmann’s redemption drama “Red Shoes” in main competition at Marrakech after a successful run in Venice’s Horizons Extra strand.
Billed as a depth-laden peek into Jordan’s independent music scene, the narrative follows “four talented artists who helped create a unique sound that began to quietly simmer before finally invading the broader musical world, leaving an enduring mark,” the synopsis says, dissecting the personal journey of each musician as they grapple with finding balance between living their dreams and juggling the mounting pressures of a modern world.
“We attempt to look beyond the seriousness of the internal conflicts,” Elgawady said in a statement. “In a way, the arc of our story is the composite of their own collective formation and reformation. We venture on to the uncharted shores of the lives of these four musicians, from absolving the demons of self-doubt and the real worth of one’s art to overcoming the unwavering day-to-day life demands.”
Pioneering musicians Muhammad Abdullah, Tarek Abu Kwaik, Mahmoud Radaideh and Aziz Maraka share a deep love of their craft. Yet their passions are suffocated by various obstacles. The film discovers that independent music requires high effort for dwindling rewards. An unpolished version of the scene, the documentary strikes a familiar chord, economic and geographic barriers holding talent back from taking their music further abroad.
“This particular troupe of musicians and filmmakers, who collaborated on screen and behind the scenes to meaningfully fulfill this empty canvas, inspect the gravity of forces we are subject to, at least retrospectively,” Elgawady relayed.