Amr Gamal (director)

Amr was born in Poznan, Poland to Yemeni parents who were studying there. Amr returned to Aden with his parents in 1989, where he attended primary and secondary school and graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Aden in 2007.

Amr's relationship with theater started with the school theater, where he led the theater troupe of Lutfi Jafar Aman High School in 1999 and then led the Aden City School Theater Troupe in 2000.

In 2001, Amr received the Prestigious President of Yemen Award in playwriting for his play The Sixth Column, becoming the youngest Yemeni to win this award at the time.{{Cite web |title=حكاية نورس المخرج المايسترو عمرو جمال |url=https://adengad.net/articles/457016 |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=عدن الغد |language=ar}}

In the spring of 2018, Amr began the production of his first feature film, 10 Days Before the Wedding.{{Cite web |date=2019-11-02 |title=في حوار مع أخبار الأمم المتحدة: مخرج فيلم "10 أيام قبل الزفة" يكسر قيود الحرب على اليمن {{!}} أخبار الأمم المتحدة |url=https://news.un.org/ar/story/2019/11/1042381 |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=news.un.org |language=ar}}{{Cite web |last=الحميري |first=عبدالرحمن |date=2019-03-26 |title=زهرة الخليج - (10 أيام قبل الزفّة) فيلمٌ يُزهر من تحت الأنقاض! |url=https://www.zahratalkhaleej.ae/Article/561447/10-%D8%A3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%82%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%81%D9%91%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%85%D9%8C-%D9%8A%D9%8F%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%86%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B6! |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=زهرة الخليج |language=ar}} The film premiered in Aden during the summer of the same year, becoming the first film to be commercially released in Yemen in four decades.{{Cite web |date=2018-08-23 |title=النشرة الثقافية - "10 أيام قبل الزفة": سخرية اليمن من الحرب |url=https://www.mc-doualiya.com/programs/20151120-%D8%B6%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9/20180823-%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88-%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%B1%D8%AC-%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D8%B9%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%B2%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AC-%D8%AA%D8%B5%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B1 |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=مونت كارلو الدولية / MCD |language=ar}}

As a result of the destruction of the infrastructure in Aden due to successive wars and the deterioration of cinemas due to negligence,{{Cite web |last=CORRESPONDENT |first=ST |date=2019-01-16 |title=Yemeni film may provide some hope and happiness |url=https://www.thebridgechronicle.com/pune/yemeni-film-may-provide-some-hope-and-happiness-30460 |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=The Bridge Chronicle |language=en}} Amr was forced to rent two wedding halls to show the movie inside.{{Cite web |date=2019-10-28 |title=الفيلم اليمني "10 أيام قبل الزفة" يتجاوز ظروف الحرب ويواصل حصد الجوائز |url=https://www.independentarabia.com/node/67256/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%86%D9%8A-10-%D8%A3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%82%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%81%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B2-%D8%B8%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%84-%D8%AD%D8%B5%D8%AF |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=اندبندنت عربية |language=ar}} Amr asked his team to build plywood screens in the two halls, and then they painted them white to screen the movie on them.{{Cite web |last=magazine |first=Le Point |date=2018-09-14 |title=Au Yémen, le cinéma veut prendre sa revanche sur la guerre |url=https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/au-yemen-le-cinema-veut-prendre-sa-revanche-sur-la-guerre-14-09-2018-2251164_3.php |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Le Point |language=fr}}{{Cite web |title=dpa German Press Agency |url=https://www.dpa.com/en/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=dpa.com |language=en}}

The premiere of the film took place in Aden on August 21, 2018, at the two wedding halls, with five screenings daily in each hall.{{Cite web |last=Gamal |first=Amr |title=Regard d’Amr Gamal, un cinéaste au Yémen |url=https://www.areion24.news/2020/09/02/regard-damr-gamal-un-cineaste-au-yemen/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=www.areion24.news |language=fr-FR}} The film achieved great commercial success, as the screenings lasted for more than eight months.{{Cite web |date=2019-04-19 |title=Yemeni film takes center stage at San Diego Arab Film Fest |url=https://sdnews.com/yemeni-film-takes-center-stage-at-san-diego-arab-film-fest/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=SDNews.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=The Panorama Audience Awards Go to Sira by Apolline Traoré and Kokomo City by D. Smith |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/2023/news-press-releases/239395.html |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=www.berlinale.de |language=en}} Later, the film became Yemen's official selection for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film of 2019.{{Cite web |title=Yemen—10 Days Before the Wedding |url=https://worldfilmreviews.us/10-days-before-the-wedding/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=جدلية |first=Jadaliyya- |title=An Interview with Aden-Based Director Amr Gamal |url=https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/38603 |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Jadaliyya - جدلية |language=en}} The film also participated in a number of international and Arab festivals and won a number of awards.{{Cite web |last=Denisonian |first=The |date=2022-02-23 |title="10 Days Before the Wedding" moves the audience |url=https://denisonian.com/2022/02/anl/10-days-before-the-wedding-moves-the-audience/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=The Denisonian |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=The Royal Film Commission Jordan {{!}} "10 Days before the Wedding" Wins the Audience Award at AFFA 2019 |url=http://www.film.jo/NewsView.aspx?NewsID=199 |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=www.film.jo}}

In 2021, Amr Gamal started shooting his second feature film, The Burdened, which was shot entirely in Aden with a joint Yemeni and foreign crew. In February 2023, The Burdened became the first Yemeni film to be screened at the Berlin International Film Festival, and the film also won a number of awards at international festivals.{{Cite web |author=Staff Reporter |date=2023-07-01 |title=‘The Burdened’ nabs Special Jury award at Taipei Film Festival |url=https://www.broadcastprome.com/news/the-burdened-nabs-special-jury-award-at-taipei-film-festival/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=BroadcastPro ME |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=THE BURDENED – Durban International Film Festival |url=https://ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za/diff44/the-burdened/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |language=en-ZA}}{{Cite web |last=Odoj |first=Christin |title=Berlinale-Panorama: Emotionaler Ausnahmezustand in »Al Murhaqoon« |url=https://www.nd-aktuell.de/artikel/1171243.al-murhaqoon-berlinale-panorama-emotionaler-ausnahmezustand-in-al-murhaqoon.html |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=nd-aktuell.de |language=de}}{{Cite web |title=Amr Gamal - Awards |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9073819/awards/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}} The Burdened was a co-production between Yemen, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia with the participation of artists and technicians from Yemen, Sudan, Egypt, Lebanon, India, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, and the Czech Republic.{{Cite web |author= |date=2023-07-03 |title=Yemeni film ‘The Burdened’ bags two awards at Valencia International Film Festival |url=https://www.broadcastprome.com/news/yemeni-film-the-burdened-bags-two-awards-at-valencia-international-film-festival/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=BroadcastPro ME |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Romney2023-02-20T15:30:00+00:00 |first=Jonathan |title=‘The Burdened’: Berlin Review |url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-burdened-berlin-review/5179402.article |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Screen |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-08-08 |title=用貼近真實的鏡頭，留下當代葉門風景──專訪《腹荷》導演阿姆魯．賈馬爾 |url=https://funscreen.tfai.org.tw/article/38486 |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Funscreen Weekly |language=zh-hant}} It also receives post-production funding from the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and the Red Sea International Film Festival.{{Cite web |title=The Red Sea Fund Opens Its Third Cycle For Production Funding |url=https://redseafilmfest.com/en/press/the-red-sea-fund-opens-its-third-cycle-for-production-funding/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Red Sea Film}}{{Cite web |last=Zaveri |first=Rhythm |date=2023-03-01 |title=THE BURDENED wins Amnesty International Film Award, second place Audience Award in Berlinale's Panorama Section |url=https://asianmoviepulse.com/2023/03/the-burdened-wins-amnesty-international-film-award-second-place/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Asian Movie Pulse |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Barraclough |first=Leo |date=2022-07-05 |title=Yemeni Project ‘The Burdened’ Among Winners at Karlovy Vary Industry Awards |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/global/the-burdened-karlovy-vary-1235309278/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

In 2005, Amr Gamal and his colleagues founded Khaleej Aden Theater Troupe, a theater troupe that has revived commercial theater in Yemen since the interruption of commercial theatrical performances after 1994 civil war in Yemen.

Amr wrote and directed nine plays between 2005 and 2023, and his play [https://elcinema.com/en/work/2059586/ Ma'ak Nazel] became the first Yemeni play to be performed in Europe, where it was performed in 2010 at the GRIPS Theater in Berlin for two consecutive days. Tickets were sold out days before the live performances.{{Cite web |date=2010-06-19 |title=Theater in Yemen |url=https://www.dw.com/en/remake-of-popular-german-play-is-a-hit-in-yemen/a-5690576 |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=DW |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2010-07-17 |title=Ma’ak Nazel play wows audiences in Berlin |url=http://afrahnasser.blogspot.com/2010/07/maak-nazel-play-wows-audiences-in.html |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Afrah Nasser's Blog}}

Amr and his colleagues founded Khaleej Aden Theater Troupe in Aden City in May 2005. The troupe's debut was through the play [https://elcinema.com/en/work/2059582 Family Dot Com], written and directed by Amr Gamal, which was performed on May 5, 2005, as part of the "Second Aden Theater Nights Festival".

Before founding Khaleej Aden Troupe, the founding members worked together on short plays written and directed by Amr Gamal as part of school theater activities between 1998 and 2001.

As a result of the 1994 civil war in Yemen, most of the theaters in Aden City were destroyed, and thus most commercial theater performances stopped. Some theatrical troupes that remained active at the time performed their plays as part of national theater festivals or within government national celebrations, which were rarely organized.

Due to all these circumstances, the members of Khaleej Aden troupe, led by Amr Gamal, began looking for alternative options in order to secure a venue to perform their commercial plays, and they chose the Hurricane Cinema Theatre, which is considered one of the oldest cinemas in the Arabian Peninsula, as it was opened in Aden during the 1950s.

Hurricane Cinema opened its doors to Khaleej Aden Troupe in 2006. This partnership between the cinema and the troupe bore fruit, as during the years between 2006 and 2023, all of the troupe's plays that were hosted by the cinema were a great commercial success.{{Cite web |last=Mahmood |first=Ali |date=2019-10-03 |title=Theatre returns to war-ravaged Aden with a satirical look at life in the city |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/theatre-returns-to-war-ravaged-aden-with-a-satirical-look-at-life-in-the-city-1.918739 |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=The National |language=en}}

With an estimated audience of 350 people, Khaleej Aden troupe performed its first play, Family Dot Com, at the Hurricane Cinema Theatre in 2006. The success of the play led to increased public interest in attending the next Khaleej Aden troupe plays, so many Yemenis were traveling to Aden specifically to attend theatrical performances during the holiday seasons. By 2008, the number of attendees exceeded 800 per performance, and the troupe also performed more than one play in the city of Sana'a.

In June 2010, Khaleej Aden became the first Yemeni troupe to perform one of their plays in Europe,{{Cite web |date=2010-06-18 |title="معك نازل" ـ مسرحية ألمانية بنكهة يمانيـة |url=https://www.dw.com/ar/%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%83-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%84-%D9%80-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%83%D9%87%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%80%D8%A9/a-5691459 |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Deutsche Welle |publisher= |language=ar-AE}} as the troupe performed Ma'ak Nazel, directed by Amr Gamal, at the GRIPS Theater in Berlin.{{Cite web |title=shaqous.com |url=https://www.shaqous.com/en/media/153 |access-date=2023-08-30}}

In January 2023, Gamal directed Khaleej Aden Troupe's Adeni Arabic production of Hamlet (originally by the English playwright William Shakespeare).{{Cite web |title=Shakespeare returns to the stage in Yemen's Aden |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/1/25/shakespeare-in-yemen-tragedy-offers-respite-from-war |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |agency=Agence France-Presse}} The play was performed on a specially built stage in Aden's Legislative Council[ar], formerly St. Maria's Church. To achieve this performance, the troupe restored the historic church building, which was partially damaged due to the 2015 war, from its own budget.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-21 |title=Shakespeare in Yemen: tragedy offers respite from war |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/1053942/shakespeare-in-yemen-tragedy-offers-respite-from-war/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Daily Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=SHAKESPEARE IN YEMEN {{!}} cmecx |url=https://cmec.org.uk/insights-analysis/podcasts/shakespeare-yemen |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=cmec.org.uk}}

Hamlet was funded in cooperation with the British Council, which linked the Khaleej Aden Troupe with Shakespeare's Globe Theater in London and the [https://volcanotheatre.net/ Volcano Theater] in Wales, which provided counseling and training sessions for the troupe members for a full year. The Adeni version of Hamlet received wide media attention, most notably the arrival of The Sunday Times correspondents from London to Aden to cover the premiere for the prestigious newspaper. The expanded report was published on the pages of the newspaper in the issue of March 19, 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-20 |title=Shakespeare au Yémen : le retour du théâtre face à la tragédie de la guerre |url=https://www.france24.com/fr/info-en-continu/20230120-shakespeare-au-y%C3%A9men-le-retour-du-th%C3%A9%C3%A2tre-face-%C3%A0-la-trag%C3%A9die-de-la-guerre |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=France 24 |language=fr}}{{Cite news |last=Callaghan |first=Louise |date=2023-08-28 |title=To be or not to be? How Hamlet was staged amid Yemen's civil war |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/theatre-dance/article/to-be-or-not-to-be-how-hamlet-was-staged-amid-yemens-civil-war-wxc7q3nx3 |access-date=2023-08-28 |issn=0140-0460}}

• 10 Days Before the Wedding, 2018 (Director, Writer, Producer){{Cite web |title=10 Days Before the Wedding, 2018 {{!}} Adenium Productions |url=https://adeniumproductions.com/film/1 |access-date=25 February 2023 |website=adeniumproductions.com}}{{Cite web |title=Yemen—10 Days Before the Wedding |url=https://worldfilmreviews.us/10-days-before-the-wedding/ |access-date=25 February 2023 |language=en-US}}
• The Burdened, 2023 (Director, Writer, Producer){{Cite web |title=Al Murhaqoon {{!}} The Burdened |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/2023/programme/202307029.html |access-date=25 February 2023 |website=www.berlinale.de |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Solutions |first=M. A. D. |title=THE BURDENED sets a precedent for Yemeni cinema with a historic premiere at the Berlinale - MAD Distribution Films |url=http://mad-distribution.film/press/439798780476.php |access-date=25 February 2023 |website=mad-distribution.film |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Romney |first=Jonathan |title=‘The Burdened’: Berlin Review |url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-burdened-berlin-review/5179402.article |access-date=25 February 2023 |website=screendaily |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-02-20 |title=The Burdened - The Film Verdict |url=https://thefilmverdict.com/the-burdened/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |author=Staff Reporter |date=2023-06-14 |title=Durban International Film Festival to screen Yemeni film ‘The Burdened’ |url=https://www.broadcastprome.com/news/durban-international-film-festival-to-screen-yemeni-film-the-burdened/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=BroadcastPro ME |language=en-US}}

• The Sixth Column, 2000 (Director, Playwright, Actor)
• [https://elcinema.com/work/2059582 Family Dot Com], 2005 (Director, Playwright, Producer)
• [https://elcinema.com/work/2059585/ Pygmalion], 2009 (Director, Producer)
• Ma'ak Nazel, 2009 (Director, Adaptation, Producer)
• [https://elcinema.com/work/2059587/ Red Card], 2010 (Director, Playwright, Producer){{Cite web |last=Al-Kohali |first=Tamjid Aziz |date=2017-08-08 |title=Amr Gamal: Theater In Wartime |url=https://almadaniyamag.com/2017/08/08/2017-8-7-amr-gamal-theater-in-wartime/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Al-Madaniya Magazine |language=en-US}}
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBN0135aQ70&ab_channel=AmrGamal Reckless Renovation], 2014 (Director, Playwright, Producer)
• Hamlet, 2023 (Director, Producer)

{{Awards table|5}}

|-

! scope="row 1" | 2023

| Berlin International Film Festival

| Amnesty Award

| The Burdened

| {{won}}

| {{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9073819/awards|title=Amr Gamal|website=IMDb|access-date=2023-08-28}}

|-

! scope="row 2" | 2023

| Berlin International Film Festival

| Panorama Audience Award

| The Burdened

| {{won}}
Second Place

|

|-

! scope="row 3" | 2023

| Valencia International Film Festival

| Best Film

| The Burdened

| {{Nom}}

|

|-

! scope="row 4" | 2023

| Valencia International Film Festival

| Jury Prize (Best Director)

| The Burdened

| {{won}}

|

|-

! scope="row 5" | 2023

| Valencia International Film Festival

| Jury Prize (Best Writing)

| The Burdened

| {{won}}
Shared with: Mazen Refa'at

|

|-

! scope="row 6" | 2023

| Durban International Film Festival

| Best Film

| The Burdened

| {{nom}}

|

|-

! scope="row 7" | 2023

| Durban International Film Festival

| Best Writing

| The Burdened

| {{won}}
Shared with: Mazen Refa'at

|

|-

! scope="row 8" | 2023

| Yerevan International Film Festival

| Best Asian Film

| The Burdened

| {{nom}}

|

|-

! scope="row 9" | 2023

| Taipei Film Festival

| Best Film
(Grand Prize)

| The Burdened

| {{nom}}

|

|-

! scope="row 10" | 2023

| Taipei Film Festival

| Best Film
(Special Jury Prize)

| The Burdened

| {{won}}

|

|-

! scope="row 11" | 2019

| Jaipur International Film Festival

| Best Film

| 10 Days Before the Wedding

| {{nom}}

|

|-

! scope="row 12" | 2019

| Aswan International Women's Film Festival

| Best Film

| 10 Days Before the Wedding

| {{nom}}

|

|-

! scope="row 13" | 2019

| Aswan International Women's Film Festival

| Best Film
(Special Jury Prize)

| 10 Days Before the Wedding

| {{won}}

|

|-

! scope="row 14" | 2019

| San Diego Arab Film Festival

| Best Film
(Audience Award)

| 10 Days Before the Wedding

| {{won}}

|

|-

! scope="row 15" | 2019

| Amman Arab Film Festival

| Best Film
(Audience Award)

| 10 Days Before the Wedding

| {{won}}

|

|-

! scope="row 16" | 2019

| Casablanca Arab Film Festival

| Best Film

| 10 Days Before the Wedding

| {{nom}}

|

|-

! scope="row 17" | 2019

| Casablanca Arab Film Festival

| Best Writing

| 10 Days Before the Wedding

| {{won}}
Shared with: Mazen Refa'at

|

|-

! scope="row 18" | 2019

| Zanzibar International Film Festival

| Best Film

| 10 Days Before the Wedding

| {{nom}}

|

|}

{{Portal bar|Theatre |Arts|Yemen}}

• [https://theamrgamal.info/ Official Website]
• Amr Gamal at [https://www.filmaffinity.com/en/search.php?stype=director&sn&stext=Amr%20Gamal filmaffinity]
• {{IMDb name|9073819}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gamal, Amr,}}

Category:Yemeni film directors

Category:Yemeni dramatists and playwrights

Category:1983 births

Category:Yemeni screenwriters

Category:Yemeni television directors

Category:Living people