AMAL

I did a lot of screenings for schools with my documentary When Arabs Danced, which talked about the relationship between art and Arab culture. We realized that there was a real danger in relation to the point of view defended by some young people in schools in the north of Brussels. Always a minority of students, but the majority remains silent. I spoke to many teachers and school principals, who outside the microphone describe a catastrophic situation, but no one dares to talk about it. It was then that the idea of ​​addressing this issue through fiction took root, all the more so that during the period of writing the murder of Samuel Paty occurred, which unfortunately was not a surprise to me. I think this type of gesture was expected, especially by politicians, who turn a blind eye to the situation. To avoid losing voters, some prefer to sweep the dust under the rug, there is a real hypocrisy. I had the feeling that the teachers were abandoned, that they were afraid and did not dare to speak. So I decided to address this topic through fiction, because it was very complicated to do it through the documentary format. The speech is not free. From the beginning of the writing process, I had Lubna Azabal in mind to play Amal, this teacher who defends freedom of expression. I involved her from the beginning. We worked together for almost two years, exchanging and talking. This character symbolizes exactly what I want to say, including shouting. A religion teacher from Brussels wanted to talk about homosexuality in class and was fired from the school because he wanted to talk about a topic that hurt certain sensitivities. We don't even let the law do his job. It is both hypocrisy and fear.