Sally El Hosaini
Sally El Hosaini is an Egyptian-Welsh writer/director. After making award-winning documentaries in Belgium, Yemen, and post-Saddam Iraq.
Sally has worked as a production coordinator on features, and as a script editor at BBC Drama. She won a regional BAFTA 2008 for her short THE FIFTH BOWL. Her latest short, HENNA NIGHT, will hit the festival circuit 2009-10. Sally is working on her debut feature MY BROTHER THE DEVIL. The script was selected for The Script Factory’s SCENE Insiders, RAWI Sundance Middle East Screenwriters Lab (Oct. 2008), Sundance International Screenwriters Lab (Jan. 2009), and BABYLON European Development Initiative (Jan. 2009).
What training have you received?
I’ve had no formal training in screenwriting but I’ve been a storyteller all my life. I’ve learned about screenwriting by reading a lot of screenplays, watching films and just being curious about people and the world around me. The labs I’ve attended were also a steep learning curve but apart from that, I’ve largely taught myself by just doing it. This has given me lots of self-discipline and focus, which are the most important skills a writer needs. Oh, and patience. It’s not an overnight process.
What themes do you like to explore in your work?
Challenging themes that raise questions I haven’t found answers to. These excite me because they take me somewhere new. It’s not about trying to find the answers but about exploring the questions from different angles. I’m drawn to things that scare me, confuse me, challenge me, and delight me. I never start writing from a theme but themes seem to emerge from character early on in the process. Also, I’m a sucker for the underdog, the misunderstood, and those at the margins of society. My feature, MY BROTHER THE DEVIL, is an urban drama. It’s the story of two teenage brothers living on a Hackney council estate and it explores themes of identity and prejudice.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given as a writer?
“Work well. Be happy.” Hal Hartley.
Most significant moment in your career so far…
My involvement with Sundance.
You’ll die happy when…
I’ve saved the world through my films. No, seriously, when I’ve made some special films that outlive me. Filmmaking is the closest I know to immortality.
