"Shams El Zanati" producer responds to director Amr Salama's statements

Egyptian producer Raymond Ramses, producer of "Shams El Zanaty - El Bedaya," responded to accusations made by director Amr Salama in a television interview, accusing the producer of illegal fraud and failure to pay his dues and those of his team, who worked on the film for two years.

During a phone call to the "Last Word" program, hosted by journalist Ahmed Salem, he said that Salama's statements were inaccurate, and that he had received his dues.

Raymond Ramses added that director Amr Salama received approximately 35% of his contract value, in exchange for the actual filming he completed, which did not exceed eight days out of a filming period scheduled for seven to eight weeks.

Ramses pointed out that the contract between the two parties covers both the preparation and filming phases, and that they cannot be separated. He emphasized that dues are calculated based on actual performance, not on intention or initial agreement.

The producer confirmed that Amr Salama's withdrawal from the project was voluntary, as he personally apologized to the film crew for not completing the project, causing a temporary halt and financial losses for the production company. He explained that the company later resumed filming under the supervision of another director, after taking the necessary legal measures and officially notifying the relevant authorities of the decision to change direction.

Ramses also denied the existence of any "fake order" as Salama claimed, stressing that all filming requests were documented on the specified dates, and that all those working on the film received their full rights without exception. He pointed out that the production company had tried to contact the director for more than a year and a half after his withdrawal, but he had blocked all means of communication. He stressed that the Cinema Professions Syndicate is the only body authorized to resolve this dispute, and he is awaiting its decision, the veracity of which he trusts.

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Amr Salama reveals details of the "Shams El Zanati" film crisis Egyptian director Amr Salama revealed details of the crisis that followed his withdrawal from directing the film "Shams El Zanaty - El Bedaya," describing the incident in a television interview as an illegal act of fraud and suspected forgery, which resulted in the loss of his rights and those of his crew.

During a phone call to the "Last Word" program, hosted by Ahmed Salem, he explained that the crisis began when the production company delayed disbursing financial dues, and a number of employees were not paid their rights. This necessitated signing an addendum to the contract that terminated his commitment to the first company and authorized the film's production through another production company.

Amr Salama said : "The problem is simply that the company I had a contract with encountered numerous problems. An addendum was signed terminating my obligations to them and transferring the project to another company. However, they ultimately decided to produce the film on their own, without the new company, which we considered a clear violation of the agreement."

He added that he and his team withdrew from the project after the company stuck to its position, stressing that the financial dues of the workers who had participated in the preparations for nearly two years were supposed to be settled, but the company completely ignored this.

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Amr Salama: We were deceived with a fake absence report. Director Amr Salama accused the production company of resorting to what he described as "fraudulent" tactics, explaining that the company issued a fake employment order and filed a report stating that he had been absent from work without justification, in order to complete filming with another director.

He said: "They issued a fake order and filed a report stating that I was absent from filming. They then resumed work with another director, even though they knew we had officially withdrawn from the project. This is a clear violation of the law."

Salama pointed out that the production company continued filming using official permits issued in his name as the film's director, despite his complete withdrawal from the project, describing this as "blatant circumvention of the law and the Filmmakers Syndicate."

He explained that he participated in filming some scenes during 2023 and 2024, but that he did not receive his dues for the long preparation period, stressing: "I received my wages for the scenes that were actually filmed, but I did not receive my dues for the two-year preparation period, and my team members also did not receive their dues."

Amr Salama: My problem is not with the film's director. During Amr Salama's TV interview, he revealed that the new director of "Shams El Zanaty - The Beginning," Ahmed Khaled Moussa, contacted him just two days before filming, after all the preparatory stages had been completed.

He said: "Ahmed Khaled Moussa spoke to me two days before filming, after he had finished the preparations and contacted the actors. I felt the call came late, but my problem isn't with him personally, but with the production company."

Salama sharply criticized the Cinema Professions Syndicate, claiming its response to the crisis was not up to the mark. He said, "I expected the Syndicate to intervene and halt filming, given the clear legal violations, but they said they were unable to do so. I am now in contact with Mr. Masoud Fouda to find a real solution that guarantees workers' rights, especially since such incidents have been repeated frequently and have affected a number of directors."

Salama had previously issued a statement indicating a dispute with a production company he described as "notorious," without mentioning the project's name or details. However, he recently announced that the matter concerned the film "Shams El Zanati - The Beginning," which he had been developing and preparing for over two full years, in 2023 and 2024.