The director of "Lam Shamsya" explains why the song "Aslami Ya Masr" is at the end.

The TV series "Lam Shamsya," which aired during the second half of Ramadan, garnered widespread attention and interest, thanks to the thorny issues it tackled and the boldness with which it presented them, in addition to the outstanding performances of the cast. However, the performance of the national anthem "Aslami Ya Masr" at the end of the series, performed by singer Reham Abdel Hakim, raised many questions among the audience. Director Karim El Shenawy answered these questions on his official Facebook page.

<img style="aspect-ratio:1640/2048;" src="https://scontent.fcai21-3.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/487691380_10171462762260497_8903134307193501515_n.jpg?_nc_cat=1&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=833d8c&_nc_eui2=AeEEN2jrvnNcuLsQBeHwCk4uk8KnN4Qhig-Twqc3hCGKD-Og7kHftiMjrY--RAd01TvYUcK5qkAyKGQv5pRHZfKK&_nc_ohc=8nBC9UD88d0Q7kNvgHpHpTo&_nc_oc=AdniuuSR_2u5ITdqeJkkpmQpWW7P8JKA1zYvEWJF9IExYXUz5ORwRarIPZb0MTFmJMI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.fcai21-3.fna&_nc_gid=kz09uKQgYVaJEyEkqUV9ZQ&oh=00_AYE7N3CQYI-gCUBF7hdhBzU5svJXDkUcFfmelcW-cHn0IA&oe=67F3825F" alt="" > Karim El Shenawy explains why he chose "Aslami Ya Masr" at the end of "Lam Shamsya" Director Karim El Shenawy explained the reason behind choosing the song "Aslami Ya Masr," saying: "I want to clarify some matters related to the use of the song (Aslami Ya Masr) at the end of the series "Lam Shamsya." I am a firm believer that once any creative work is presented to the audience, its interpretation becomes the right of the audience itself, and the relationship of the work's creators with its interpretation ends. Therefore, I preferred not to comment on the series for as long as possible so that my opinion or the opinion of any of the work team does not affect the viewers' reception of the work." He added: "However, regarding the use of the song, I see it as my duty to explain some matters related to the decision. The use of the song was a decision stemming from the work's creators alone, and there was no interference from censorship or production authorities."

Al-Shennawy pointed out that the series' creators did not expect the song's choice to be perceived as a result of pressure from any official body. He emphasized that the true motivations behind the decision were a sincere sense of pride in the accomplishment achieved, despite the difficulties, by completing this project with purely Egyptian production and support from Egyptian institutions. He added, "I am fully aware from the reactions that a large portion of the audience did not see the use of the song as appropriate, and I completely understand that. An artist often has a specific vision, only to be surprised by the audience's reaction, which differs from their expectations. Here, I am not trying to evade the decision or make excuses; rather, I bear full responsibility for it."

Directorial interpretation of song selection

The director of "Lam Shamsya" explained that he believes the audience has the right to know their motivations and vision for choosing the song, and that they have the right to accept or reject it. He pointed out that the moment the decision was made to use "Aslami Ya Masr" was a moment when the creators' feelings for the series were mixed with the feelings of the drama itself, and the audience interacted with it. He added, "I admit that we never expected this much interaction and enthusiasm from the audience."

Al-Shennawy emphasized that the production team had many concerns during the "Lam Shamsya" journey, regarding the audience's and community institutions' acceptance of the series' themes, and the potential accusations that its broadcast might raise, such as tarnishing the country's reputation or highlighting issues that society may not want to confront. He said, "We believed the opposite was true. We believed that true patriotism lies in a critical outlook on society, and that future generations deserve a better reality. Ignoring problems does not serve the nation; confronting them honestly is what leads to change."

Al-Shennawy concluded by saying that the audience's overwhelming response to the series, especially the final episode, made them feel they had succeeded in conveying a message "that we consider patriotic in the deep and broad sense of the word." He added that they wanted to share this spontaneous and charged feeling with the audience, so they could be part of it.