Between Professionalism and Human Conviction… Mohamed Gamal on His Most Challenging Role in Sohab Al&Ard

At a clip erstwhile the aerial itself feels dense with ashes, helium chose to locomotion done fire.
Caught betwixt his idiosyncratic sympathy for the Palestinian origin and his nonrecreational committedness arsenic an histrion susceptible of separating content from performance, Mohamed Gamal recovered himself facing 1 of the astir delicate roles successful caller Arab drama: portraying a Zionist settler successful the bid Sohab Al-Ard (“Companions of the Land”).
The quality represents 1 broadside of an ongoing and bloody conflict, emerging successful the aftermath of October 7 and amid a world that remains profoundly inflamed. The backlash was swift. Criticism followed — peculiarly from Hebrew-language media. Yet Gamal insists that what helium delivered was not “mere acting,” but alternatively “a humanities stance” helium volition 1 time recount to his children.

In this exclusive interview, Gamal speaks candidly astir the intelligence challenge, the linguistic preparation, the trouble of embodying “the different side,” and his connection to Hebrew media outlets that accused the bid of distorting realit

First, however did you woody psychologically and artistically with portraying a quality representing 1 broadside of specified a delicate governmental struggle — 1 that portion of the assemblage whitethorn reject?

“First of all, convey you for having me,” helium begins.
“From time one, I saw this arsenic an creator connection — but not an mean one. It’s a humanities infinitesimal being documented. This isn’t a passing societal role; it’s tied to a prolonged struggle that volition enactment with america for a lifetime.”

“When I was offered the role, I was already intimately pursuing what our Palestinian brothers were going through. I understood we were moving successful a post–October 7 context, aft the nonaccomplishment of galore absorption fighters successful Hamas. I knew we were touching a precise delicate nerve.”

“Psychologically, it was difficult. You spot yourself successful the presumption of the different broadside — a broadside I personally reason successful presumption of the cause. But professionally, you indispensable separate. You indispensable beryllium truthful successful your performance, adjacent if the relation itself is provocative.”

Did you spot the relation arsenic simply an acting job, oregon arsenic an creator connection carrying a circumstantial stance oregon mentation of reality?

“Not astatine each conscionable a performance,” helium says firmly.
“I spot it arsenic a humanities position. Something I’ll beryllium arrogant to archer my children astir 1 day. When they turn up and ask, ‘What did you bash during that period?’ I’ll accidental I participated successful a enactment that documented an important section of the conflict.”

“Art isn’t conscionable entertainment. It’s documentation. It’s interpretation. It’s quality alignment. We’re not telling a fictional communicative — we’re portraying a world we’ve each witnessed.”

Did you look nonstop unit oregon disapproval aft the occurrence aired?

“The backlash was expected — particularly from Hebrew media. They didn’t similar the representation being presented. But I anticipated that adjacent earlier the occurrence aired.”

“On the contrary, the much the quality provokes people, the much I’ve succeeded arsenic an actor. Because successful reality, that quality is provocative. It’s portion of his makeup. A broadside that imposes dominance and intimidation — naturally, it volition beryllium disturbing.”

Was mastering Hebrew simply a linguistic exercise, oregon did you effort to recognize the mentality and civilization down the quality earlier speaking it connected camera?

“Of people it wasn’t conscionable astir language. I’m not a call-center cause repeating memorized lines — I’m an actor.”

“I immersed myself visually. I watched countless videos and statements. I studied existent situations. Some of what I saw was achy — scenes of dancing successful the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, oregon humiliating fathers successful beforehand of their children.”

“These moments were harsh, but they helped physique the intelligence authorities of the character. I had to recognize however helium thinks, however helium speaks, however helium sees himself.”

While delivering your Hebrew dialogue, were you attentive to code and look to guarantee authenticity?

“Absolutely. This is 2025 — not the epoch of outdated stereotypes. In the past, Jewish characters successful Egyptian cinema were often portrayed successful somewhat caricatured ways, similar definite models successful Raafat El-Haggan.”

“Today, the representation is different. If you observe modern Israeli figures — similar Israeli service spokesperson Avichay Adraee — you’ll announcement they talk successful a precise mean tone, but with a peculiar undertone… a provocative edge.”

“So I focused intensely connected tone, connected excessive confidence, connected a consciousness of authority. The quality indispensable consciousness successful power — adjacent portion claiming victimhood.”

Was it hard to abstracted your existent property from a quality speaking different connection and embodying a antithetic stance successful the conflict?

“I’m a nonrecreational actor. Naturally, I abstracted my existent aforesaid — idiosyncratic sympathetic to Palestine — from the settler who believes the onshore belongs to him.”

“But I won’t prevarication — that separation required intelligence effort. You’re entering a mindset shaped by hostility, convinced of entitlement, seeing the different broadside arsenic simply an obstacle.”

“I perpetually reminded myself: this is simply a role. This is acting. Otherwise, it would instrumentality a intelligence toll.”

Some critics argued that the bid granted the Israeli quality a grade of humanity. How bash you respond?

“We didn’t beautify anyone. We presented a realistic model. A idiosyncratic whitethorn look mean successful code and demeanor, but their actions tin beryllium provocative and harsh.”

“The information isn’t successful quality — it’s successful behavior. The bid was cautious to bespeak that clearly.”

Your connection to Hebrew media that attacked the bid and accused it of distorting the truth?

“My connection is simple,” helium says.
“As the precocious Egyptian vocalist Shaaban Abdel Rahim erstwhile sang successful his celebrated song, ‘I Hate Israel’:
‘I hatred Israel, and I accidental it if I’m asked.’”

“Hebrew media doesn’t interest us. They’re known for distorting facts — past proves that.”

“We didn’t invent anything. The quality betwixt america and them is the existent videos disposable online. The bid relied connected scenes the full satellite has seen. If anyone is falsifying reality, the footage speaks for itself.”

Finally, what bash you accidental to viewers who blurred the enactment betwixt you and the character?

“I’d archer them: abstracted Mohamed Gamal the histrion from Mohamed Gamal the person.”

“I’m primitively a comedic actor, a antheral of the theater, relying connected charisma and lightness. Playing a villain was an experimentation — a challenge. And if I succeeded, it’s due to the fact that creation demands sincerity.”

“But I emotion comedy. I emotion tragedy. I emotion each signifier of performance. An histrion indispensable beryllium capable to deterioration each look — and region it the infinitesimal the camera stops.”

Between professionalism and quality conviction, Mohamed Gamal walked a bladed line.
He deliberately portrayed a provocative character, trusting the audience’s consciousness to separate betwixt relation and performer.

In a clip erstwhile authorities and creation intertwine, Sohab Al-Ard was not simply a tv bid — but different arena successful the conflict of narrative.