Omar Hilal’s debut feature Voy! Voy! Voy! opened the second installation of the Novi Sad Film Festival to unbridled laughs and genuine affection from the audience.
It’s quite surprising what a charming and exciting journey Omar Hilal’s comedy debut Voy! Voy! Voy! takes us on since the plot is laid bare without mystery in the synopsis. What distinguishes it from your regular escape-to-freedom movie is the scene before the opening credits. The director depicts the lead character we’re about to watch for another 90 minutes in a few short lines. He is a rogue. But this is done with a humorous smirk that sets the tone of the remainder of the film and the audience is won over immediately.
Hassan (Muhammad Farrag) is a bit too old to just be getting by, but even getting by in modern day Egypt can be a commendable feat. He’s a security guard with always a bit too little money and a touch too big ambition. His prospects are low professionally and emotionally. The girl he likes is promised to another man and isn’t that impressed with his shenanigans and his mother is equally fed up with his dead end drifting.
Surely, he believes, if he could emigrate to Europe, he could have the opportunity to experience an easier life. He and his two goofy friends are ready to make the treacherous journey to Europe through conventional means – boat, lorry, escape through the woods and taking on a Syrian accent is paramount. It’s a familiar topic that no longer appears in the headlines and whose brutal nature was shown in many documentaries and features in the past decade. This is also why it’s incredible what a farcical sequence Hilal manages to extract from it. How Hassan imagines his journey is hilarious but the serious consequences of such a decision still make him back out.
Instead, we remain in the realm of comedy where Hilal reimagines a true event. Instead of the passport identity theft Hassan joins the bind football team hoping to get away with his ruse by donning sunglasses and staring into the distance. This works up to a point, but his scam sifts out a dirtier game than he imagined underneath the surface.
Voy! Voy! Voy! gives a gentle-hearted insight into the daily lives and plights of ordinary Egyptian folk in an extraordinary way. My favourite moment is when Hassan brings home sunglasses and everyone accuses him of being pretentious. More than these moments though there is genuine concern with daily matters that are introduced playfully but stay with you long after the tense finale. Just like watching a football match, there is a lot of movement to and fro but the scores remain in your memory long after the players have left the field.
Discover our intevriew with director Omar Hilal.
