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Adolf El Assal

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Adolf El Assal
Born1981-04-07
Alexandria, Egypt
OccupationsFilm director, producer
Notable workLes Fameux Gars (2014), Sawah (2019)

Adolf El Assal, is a filmmaker, producer, and writer of Egyptian-Luxembourgish background. His work often incorporates multicultural elements and blends humor with social themes. El Assal has produced or co-produced films that have been distributed internationally. His projects include feature films, television, and shortform productions, with a focus on collaborations between European and Middle Eastern partners.[1][2][3]

Early life and education

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Adolf El Assal was born on 7 April 1981 in Alexandria, Egypt. Shortly after his birth, his family relocated to the United Arab Emirates, where his parents worked as a pharmacist and a doctor.[4][5] Around the age of six or seven, his family settled in Luxembourg following a stopover during a European summer holiday trip from the UAE. This experience later served as the basis for his semi-autobiographical film Sawah. He was raised in the towns of Remich and Rodange and attended evening courses at Lycée Michel-Lucius.[6]

Before beginning his career in film, El Assal worked as a DJ in several clubs in Luxembourg prior to reaching the legal age for entry and operated an underground record label. During his childhood, he used his father's VHS camcorder to recreate scenes from American sitcoms, involving his siblings as actors.[7]

In 2002, El Assal began undergraduate studies at Kingston University in London, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Cultural Studies in 2005. He continued at Kingston University to complete a Master of Arts in Filmmaking, graduating in 2007. During his studies, he co-founded Bigtime Entertainments, a low-budget production company that produced around 30 projects, mainly music videos for various artists including Robbie Williams and Craig David. In 2005, he served as a jury member at the Cartoons on the Bay Film Festival in Positano, Italy. The following year, he participated in the Berlinale Talentcampus and was a Youth Jury Member at the Festival de Cannes. El Assal is fluent in English, French, German, Luxembourgish, and Egyptian Arabic.[8]

Career

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After completing his postgraduate studies, El Assal worked as a freelance producer and editor for various international media organizations, including the BBC, MBC, Al Jazeera, Current TV, and LUXE.TV.[9] He also held a position as a teaching assistant at Kingston University. El Assal's first notable film credit was as a producer on Divizionz (2006/2008), a guerrilla feature filmed in a Ugandan slum and co-produced with Donald Mugisha and James Tayler.

In 2011, El Assal co-founded the independent production company Wady Films (formerly Wady Media) in Luxembourg. The company focused on producing and co-producing international feature films, documentaries, and television content with an emphasis on crosscultural narratives. Under this company, El Assal produced films including Les (Fameux) Gars (2014) and Sawah (2019). In 2010, El Assal directed two short films that contributed to the development of his directorial style. La Fameuse Route... (The Notorious Road..., 12 minutes) was screened at over 20 international festivals and received five awards. Mano de Dios (God's Hand, 15 minutes) was shown at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival and was selected for multiple other festivals, receiving several awards. Both films drew on El Assal's experiences as an individual of immigrant background living in Luxembourg.[10][11]

In 2007, El Assal directed his first feature-length film, Reste Bien, Mec!, a low-budget production completed in two weeks following his collaboration with Luxembourgish rappers. The film premiered in the largest cinema in Luxembourg and was screened nationally for six weeks.[12][13]

El Assal completed his first formally produced feature, Les Fameux Gars (2012), a €750,000 comedy filmed in 20 days in Luxembourg. Released in France and Belgium in 2013, it featured rapper Orelsan in his first film role. After distributor offers fell short, the film was independently distributed in France via digital platforms. It received multiple nominations at the Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis, including Best Feature Film.[3][14]

Sawah and Netflix (2019–2020)

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El Assal spent seven years developing his second feature, Sawah, completed in 2019. The film, a Luxembourg production with international co-producers, was co-written by El Assal, Dennis Foon, and Sirvan Marogy. Sawah was released on Netflix on 14 May 2020 in 46 countries and is the first Luxembourgish live-action feature by a local director on the platform. It screened at over 100 festivals, won about 34 awards, and was distributed in over 50 countries. The film is part of a planned semi-autobiographical trilogy about the director's experience as an Egyptian raised in Luxembourg.[15][16][17][18]

Television: Baraki (2021)

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After Sawah, El Assal directed several episodes of the Belgian comedy-drama series Baraki, produced by 1080 Films and created by Julien Vargas, Peter Ninane, and Fred de Loof. The first season aired on Belgian public television RTBF and was streamed on Netflix France and Benelux. The series, which follows the working-class Berthet family, was renewed for a second season following positive reception. It was the first comedy supported by the relevant production fund to have a 26-minute format.[19]

Dubai Expo 2020 and Full Memory (2022)

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In 2017, El Assal was chosen by the Luxembourg government to represent cinema in a multidisciplinary project for the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.[20] He co-wrote and directed the 13-minute Arabic-language short film Full Memory in one day, featuring SyrianDanish actor Mazen Haj Kassem. The film, about a young Syrian refugee in Luxembourg confronting past trauma, screened at the pavilion in January 2022 and was shown at around 70 international film festivals, including the Arab Film Festival Rotterdam.[21][22]

Producing slate (2019–2025)

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Through Wady Films, El Assal has participated in international co-productions across various genres and regions. Notable projects include My Grandpa Is an Alien (2019),[23] Croatia’s first sci-fi children’s film; Absolutely Must Go (2021),[24] a documentary on the Chagossian displacement; Sharaf (2021),[25] an Arabic-language drama awarded at the JCC Carthage Film Festival; Pamfir (2022), a Ukrainian feature recognized at Cannes and the European Film Awards; Beanie (2022),[26] Slovenia’s first Christmas film; M (2023), a North Macedonian drama distributed in the US; Kanaval (2023), a Canada–Luxembourg co-production honored at the Toronto International Film Festival; Tuk Tuk Eye (2024), an Arabic documentary on the Iraqi October Revolution; and La Zone (2024), a Tunisian-German-Luxembourg-French thriller with Benelux distribution by Wady Media.[27]

Hooped and current projects

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El Assal's third feature as director, Hooped, is a coming-of-age comedy-drama co-written with Canadian screenwriter Dennis Foon. The story follows a 17-year-old aspiring entrepreneur and basketball player traveling from Luxembourg to Canada and Egypt. The project was presented at Berlinale Talents 2023, marking El Assal's second participation in the program. The screenplay received a writing grant from Film Fund Luxembourg. Cast members include Kida Khodr Ramadan and Tua El Fawwal.[28][29]

Filmography

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As producer or co-producer
Year Title / Director Role
2019 My Grandpa Is an Alien / Marina Andree Škop, Dražen Žarković[23] Co-producer (Wady Films)
2021 Absolutely Must Go / S. JeanNoël Pierre[24] Producer (Wady Films)
2021 Sharaf / Samir Nasr Co-producer (Wady Films)
2022 Beanie (Kapa) / Slobodan Maksimović[26][30] Co-producer (Wady Films)
2022 Full Memory / Adolf El Assal[22] Producer (Wady Films)
2022 Pamfir / Dmytro SukholytkyySobchuk Co-producer (Wady Films)
2022 Agua / Daniel Perlman Executive Producer (Wady Films)
2023 M (Beyond the Wasteland) / Vardan Tozija Co-producer (Wady Films)
2023 Kanaval / Henri Pardo Co-producer (Wady Films)
2023 Entre les mots / Farid Ismaïl Executive producer (Wady Films)
2023 Arman & Elisa / Kiyan Agadjani Producer (Wady Films)
2023 Fair / Kim Schneider Producer (Wady Films)
2024 Tuk Tuk Eye / Dhyaa Joda Co-producer (Wady Films)
2024 La Zone / Lassaad Dkhili Co-producer (Wady Films)
2025 Child (Le Refuge) / Cyrus Neshvad Executive Producer (Wady Films)
2025 Der Kuss des Gräshüpfers (The Kiss of the Grasshopper) / Elmar Imanov[31] Co-producer (Wady Films)
2025 Les Baronnes (The Baronesses) / Nabil Ben Yadir, Mokhtaria Badaoui Associate Producer (Wady Films)
As Director
Year Title Format Notes
2007 Reste Bien, Mec![12] Feature film (no budget) Guerrilla production. Shot in two weeks; premiered in Luxembourg's largest cinema; screened nationally for six weeks
2008 Divizionz[13] Feature film (producer/codirector) Berlin International Film Festival 2008. 100+ festival selections. 30+ territories sold
2011 La Fameuse Route... (The Notorious Road...)[29] Short film, 12 min 20+ festival selections; 5 awards.
2011 Mano de Dios (God's Hand)[11] Short film, 15 min Doha Tribeca Film Festival. 2 awards.
2012/2 013 Les Fameux Gars (The Notorious Guys) Feature film, 85 min Written, directed, produced. Released France/Belgium 11 Dec 2013. Budget €570,000. Shot in 20 days. Cast includes Orelsan (first cinema role).
2015 Ouni Mooss Short film Luxembourg production. [IMDb]
2019 Sawah[32] Feature film, 85 min Luxembourg/Belgium/Egypt. Netflix 46 countries (May 2020). First Luxembourgish live-action feature on Netflix. 100+ festivals, 34 awards. Script: El Assal, Dennis Foon, Sirvan Marogy. Stars Karim Kassem.
2021 Baraki (Season 1) TV series, 5 episodes Belgian/RTBF production by 1080 Films. Netflix France and Benelux. Renewed Season 2
2022 Full Memory[22] Short film, 13 min, Arabic Co-written and shot in one day with Mazen Haj Kassem. Luxembourg Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai (Jan 2022). 70+ festival screenings.

References

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  1. ↑ "Network". EAVE. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  2. ↑ "Adolf EL ASSAL". Wady Films. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  3. 1 2 "Adolf El Assal takes part in the Berlinale Talents with his film HOOPED - Digital Studio Middle East". 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  4. ↑ "Berlinale Talents - Adolf El Assal". Berlinale Talents. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  5. ↑ "Adolf EL ASSAL". filmfund.lu.
  6. ↑ "Adolf El Assal • Director of Sawah". Cineuropa. Archived from the original on 2025-01-26. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  7. ↑ Newbould, Chris. "Filmmaker wants to put Egypt and Luxembourg on the global cinema map". The National. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  8. ↑ "Three Egyptian filmmakers selected for Berlinale Talents 2023 - Screens - Arts & Culture". Ahram Online. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  9. ↑ "Personnes | Africultures : El Assal Adolf". Africultures (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  10. ↑ "Egypt's Adolf El Assal takes part in the Berlinale Talents with his Film 'Hooped'". EgyptToday. 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  11. 1 2 "SECOND ANNUAL DOHA TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP". iloveqatar.net. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
  12. 1 2 "Luxembourg | Cinéma & Associés. Ady le petit gars qui monte, qui monte". www.republicain-lorrain.fr (in French). 2019-08-10. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  13. 1 2 "Casting ce week-end à Belval et au Kirchberg". virgule.lu. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
  14. ↑ "Luxembourg film prize nominations announced". luxtimes.lu. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
  15. ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie. "Netflix picks up Luxembourg-Egypt comedy 'Sawah'". Screen. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  16. ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie. "Adolf El Assal lines up hi-jinks comedy 'Sawah' (exclusive)". Screen. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  17. ↑ "First for Luxembourg: Luxembourg co-production "Sawah" coming to Netflix on 14 May". RTL Today. 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  18. ↑ "SAWAH to become First Luxembourg Film Broadcast on Netflix". Chronicle.lu. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  19. ↑ "Egypt's Adolf El Assal takes part in the Arab Film Festival Rotterdam with 'Full Memory' movie". EgyptToday. 2022-06-19. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  20. ↑ Release, Press. "Discover Luxembourg's diverse, mesmerizing and thought-provoking contemporary art scene". www.zawya.com. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  21. ↑ Tabikha, Kamal. "Touching short film about a Syrian refugee debuts at Expo 2020 Dubai". The National. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  22. 1 2 3 Staff Reporter. "Adolf El Assal's 'Full Memory' to participate in Dubai Expo 2020". broadcastprome.com. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  23. 1 2 "My Grandpa Is an Alien | www.croatian.film". www.croatian.film. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  24. 1 2 "Films | Africultures : Absolutely Must Go". Africultures (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  25. ↑ safeer (2021-12-04). "Film SHARAF competes at the Red Sea International Film Festival - safeer". Kuwait Times. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  26. 1 2 Keslassy, Elsa (2022-04-25). "Indie Sales Boards Directors' Fortnight-Bound Ukrainian Film 'Pamfir' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  27. ↑ Vinter, Damijan. "FNE at Festival of Slovenian Film Portorož 2022: Beanie - FilmNewEurope.com". www.filmneweurope.com. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  28. ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie. "Adolf El Assal signs buzzy Arab-European cast for 'Hooped'". Screen. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  29. 1 2 Ahram Online. "Egyptian artist Assem Hendawi, filmmaker Tamer El-Said in Berlinale Forum Expanded - Screens - Arts & Culture". english.ahram.org.eg. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  30. ↑ Vinter, Damijan. "FNE at Festival of Slovenian Film Portorož 2022: Beanie - FilmNewEurope.com". www.filmneweurope.com. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  31. ↑ "Der Kuss des Grashüpfers | The Kiss of the Grasshopper". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  32. ↑ "New Luxembourgish Film: Sawah, a new film by director Adolf El Assal". RTL Today. 2019-02-21. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
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