MAD World, the film sales arm of pan-Arab indie studio MAD Solutions, has acquired global rights to The Settlement, an Egyptian thriller by Mohamed Rashad that intricately weaves family drama with a working-class narrative. The film is set to debut at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival from February 13 to 25, in the newly launched competition section, Perspectives.

This feature film represents Rashad’s return to the Berlinale, where he previously received funding from the Berlinale World Cinema Fund in 2022. Known for his documentary Little Eagles, which explored leftist activism in 1970s Egypt, Rashad’s work has garnered acclaim, including the Best Documentary Award at the Malmö Arab Film Festival.

The Settlement is inspired by true events and follows two brothers, 23-year-old Hossam and his 12-year-old brother Maro, living in a marginalized community in Alexandria. Following their father’s tragic workplace accident, the local factory offers them jobs as compensation, pressuring them to abandon any legal claims. As they navigate their new roles, they begin to question the circumstances surrounding their father’s death.

Rashad draws on his personal ties to Alexandria’s industrial landscape, where his father worked in textile factories for over four decades. His inspiration also stems from a story shared by a law school graduate whose father died on a construction site, where the company coerced the family into relinquishing their legal rights in exchange for employment. Through The Settlement, Rashad highlights the unsafe working conditions prevalent in factories and the dubious practices of some management teams.

The film showcases emerging talents such as Adham Shoukry, Ziad Islam, Hajar Omar, Mohamed Abdel Hady, and Emad Ghoneim. It features cinematography by Mahmoud Lotfi and editing by Heba Othman, known for her work on the acclaimed Sudanese film Goodbye Julia.

A collaborative production involving Egypt, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, The Settlement is produced by Hala Lotfy of Hassala Films (Cairo), with co-producers including Etienne de Ricaud of Caractères Productions (Paris), Kesmat Elsayed of Seera Films GmbH (Berlin), and ART (Jeddah).

The film has garnered support from several prestigious international organizations, including the IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund, Doha Film Institute, Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, Red Sea Development Fund, Fonds Image de la Francophonie, and El Gouna Film Festival’s CineGouna Platform.

“Creating The Settlement took five years,” shared director Mohamed Rashad. “Throughout this journey, I achieved my goals, such as casting unknown actors and involving real workers in significant roles. I filmed in authentic locations, capturing scenes in Alexandria that closely matched my vision, along with the rich industrial atmosphere.”

“Having the film showcased at such a significant festival and competing in a new section signifies that we, as a team, have realized our vision, which is fantastic,” he added.

Regarding his partnership with MAD, Rashad noted that the company has recently excelled in global distribution after a strong history in Arab and regional markets, emphasizing the mutual support that fosters collective success.

Producer Hala Lotfy reflected on the film’s extensive journey and the challenges encountered, stating, “While The Settlement is undoubtedly an arthouse film, it certainly doesn’t have the budget of one. The filming process was demanding yet rewarding, involving on-location shoots across Cairo and Alexandria to remain true to its narrative.”

She expressed her enthusiasm for future collaborations with MAD, recalling that her first film, Coming Forth By Day, was among the first distributed by MAD, and she aims to renew that partnership whenever possible.

French co-producer Etienne de Ricaud described his collaboration with Rashad and Hassala Films as a “blessing that reflects our shared understanding as a team, united by a common vision regarding human relationships, reality, and cinema.”

German co-producer Kesmat Elsayed characterized her experience with The Settlement as profound, calling it “truly a labor of love, brought to life during a challenging period for independent production in Egypt, thanks to the remarkable resilience of producer Hala Lotfy.”

Elsayed added that The Settlement aligns perfectly with the vision behind their production company in Germany, aiming to support Arab and African filmmakers and bridge the gap in representation, showcasing incredible talent that often struggles to reach a global audience. The dedication of everyone involved in this project has been nothing short of inspiring, and we are excited to see this story take its place on the world stage.

“The theme at this year’s Berlinale is loss within the context of the Arab World,” noted MAD Solutions co-founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab. “Like our other films at Berlin, The Settlement centers on coping with profound loss. Remarkably, Rashad approaches this theme with a unique blend of thrill and the struggles of two brothers navigating a life, job, and purpose they inherited, which we believe will captivate audiences everywhere.”

“While we focus on ensuring Arab stories reach the global stage, we also select titles that address universal themes, fostering connections between the Arab World and the rest of the globe. Loss is a universal experience, and though we may process it differently depending on our circumstances, grief remains a common thread that can bring us closer together,” Karkouti and Diab concluded.