JEDDAH: The opportunity to showcase his debut feature film “Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo” at the Venice Film Festival and now at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah is a milestone for Egyptian director Khalid Mansour.

Arab News caught up with Mansour, who previously directed three short films and a mini-series titled “Rawaa Reads” (2023), after the first screening of the film in Jeddah.

“Being part of one of the world’s most significant cinematic events is an incredible opportunity to reach a wider audience and introduce myself as a filmmaker, especially since this film is my debut,” he said.

The first Egyptian film to screen at September’s Venice Film Festival in 12 years, “Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo” tells the story of protagonist Hassan as he searches for a safe haven for his best friend, his beloved dog Rambo, after the canine is threatened by their landlord.

“The story of ‘Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo’ focuses on my generation and, through Hassan’s journey, we went deep into our thoughts, beliefs, fears, and sense of belonging. This project took about eight years to make because I intended to present unique and genuine cinema,” said Mansour.

He continued: “It is my first feature-length narrative film, and this film is not (just) about a dog and his friend, but it is about the complexities of our generation, highlighting (the) struggle … that we go through in our society.”

The film was inspired by a real incident that resulted in an Egyptian court jailing four men in 2015 over the brutal killing of a dog, which was filmed and sparked outrage when the video went viral.

“This is a film about the strong relationship between a man and his dog and it is a real incident which occurred on Al-Ahram Street (in Cairo), where a group of men killed a dog in front of all the neighbors out of revenge,” Mansour explained.

The film stars Essam Omar, Rakeen Saad, Ahmed Bahaa, Samaa Ibrahim, and the canine Rambo Brothers.

Produced by Rasha Hosny and Egyptian producer giant Mohamed Hefzy, the film will hit cinemas in the Arab world in January.