“Marc André was a big part of the inspiration,” explains Elhamy. The two have worked closely on the project since day one, pulling biographical elements from Mallet’s life into the story.
In order to deal with his grief, Marc André takes a road trip back to his hometown. As his world continues to unravel, he begins to hallucinate and feel haunted.
“I find something very interesting about the idea of how trauma can affect people,” says Elhamy. “The film is mostly about reality and experience and memory.”
Co-producer Sarah Nesbitt, BFA 12, explains that she was first attracted to the project because of Elhamy’s dedication to his vision.
“It wasn’t the script that sold me initially,” she says. “Elhamy creates visuals that really evoke something.”
The film’s production team is relatively small and composed of mostly Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema graduates and students. “Our director of photography is an experimental film student and I find her approach really brave,” says Nesbitt. “She’s willing to take risks.”
Elhamy adds that he worked alongside the director of photography in order to create the right visual tone that would be “suitable for this kind of storytelling.”
While Frère raison is Elhamy’s biggest undertaking to date, he gained experience working as an assistant director on several films shot in Egypt and France. He also cut his directorial teeth working on short films, including Aquarium, which won the award for best narrative film at the 2014 Art Video Art Awards.
With the crowdfunding campaign still going strong, the production team plans to start filming on location in New Brunswick in early August.
While Nesbitt isn’t certain what the next few months of shooting and post-production will hold, she’s confident that the finished product will be special. “It’s going to be quite unique whatever the outcome is,” she says.
Marc André Mallet plays the troubled protagonist in Omar Elhamy’s film Frère raison. Photo: Sarah Nesbitt