In an industrial premises in Gothenburg, Fares Fares is sitting and driving a car along Cairo's streets. That he would play the lead role in "Eagles of the Republic" was crucial for director Tarik Saleh.
Fares Fares holds a sandwich in his right hand, taking small bites. Enjoying.
For "Eagles of the Republic", Tarik Saleh's concluding part of the Cairo trilogy, Fares Fares has been on a strict diet. Filming began in mid-May in Istanbul and now only filming in Gothenburg remains. The film's premiere is planned for autumn 2025.
Director Tarik Saleh meets Fares' gaze and smiles. With only two filming days left, he allows his lead actor to enjoy the moment.
After the successes with "The Nile Hilton Incident" and "Boy from Heaven", the trilogy concludes with "Eagles of the Republic", where Egypt's most beloved actor George Fahmy (Fares Fares) is pressured to play the lead role in a film commissioned by the authorities.
But Fares Fares' role in the trilogy is greater than that. His participation is entirely crucial, according to Tarik Saleh, who describes how the collaboration is based on agreements.
We make the film together. Then we create the character and relationships together, develops Fares Fares.
The Authentic Feeling
To achieve an authentic feeling, everyone needs to be on board. Tarik Saleh compares it to childhood role-playing.
If someone says "we're just playing", they're immediately cancelled because they haven't understood that it's for real, he says.
The films could not be shot in Cairo. The production of the first film was already stopped, and the production had to leave Egypt, a country to which Tarik Saleh has a strong connection. Instead, the environments from Cairo's streets are recreated on screens around the Jaguar with George Fahmy (Fares Fares) behind the wheel.
Just getting to see the streets, to experience them, it becomes very real, he says.
In another scene, he's on his way home while one of the team members presses the bumper so the car follows the road.
Tarik Saleh fixes his gaze on one of the screens. He follows the camera movement.
And cut. Nice, that was good, wonderful, he says smiling and approaches some of the film's international team, which consists of over 160 people in total.
Love for the Cinema
Tarik Saleh describes the film as a tribute to the Egyptian film industry, a love declaration to the cinema. The "What if..." of change is something he wants to believe in.
It's clear that it's a dream for me, that these films in another version of Egypt will be shown in a cinema there. It would be completely magical, especially the film we're making now.
"The Nile Hilton Incident" is the first film in Tarik Saleh's trilogy and is about a corrupt police officer in Cairo, played by Fares Fares.
The second film, "Boy from Heaven", won the prize for best screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022, and is a political thriller set in a university environment.
Behind the work on the third film "Eagles of the Republic" is a large international team of 162 people from countries such as Sweden, France, Egypt, Turkey, and Denmark.
The film has a large international cast with 65 roles from many different countries, such as France, Egypt, and Syria.
The main filming took place in Istanbul from mid-May. The last three days of filming in July are in Gothenburg.
"Eagles of the Republic" is a Swedish, French, Danish, Finnish, and German co-production.
The film has a budget of approximately 106 million Swedish kronor.
Source: SF Studios
