DUBAI (ALETIHAD)

“Voy Voy Voy!”, a collaborative effort between Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Vox Studios, and Film Clinic, has been chosen as Egypt’s entry to the Oscars this year. Released on September 21 across the GCC, the Mohamed Farah-starrer will also premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival to be held at the end of the year.
Written and directed by Omar Hilal, the film released in Egypt a week earlier and marks Hilal’s cinematic debut and transition from the world of advertising. Hilal and the cast were present at a news conference held at the Mall of Emirates last week. “I am keen on making films with social overtones,” Hilal said.
The film is based on true life incidents from 2015 when members of a goalball team, a handball variant for the visually impaired, landed in Poland for a competition. When a few members disappeared, it becomes apparent that the competition was a ploy to make it to greener pastures, with a big reveal that the characters were never visually impaired.
“Voy Voy Voy!” features an ensemble cast including established stars such as Farrag, Nelly Karim, and Bayoumi Fouad alongside up-and-coming talent Taha Desouky, Amgad El Hagar, and Mohamed Abdel Azeem. Hilal wrote the script and is also a co-producer with Mohamed Hefzy.
The film’s message is represented by a protagonist named Hassan, a security guard who lives an impoverished life with his mother, and dreams of travelling and living abroad. He even tries to marry an elderly rich woman, but his efforts go in vain.
One day, he stumbles upon the sport of blind football, and cunningly decides to pose as a visually impaired man to join a team close to playing a World Cup tournament in Europe. 
On this journey, he crosses paths with several characters, including an attractive young journalist (Karim), a middle-aged coach looking for an opportunity, and his two best friends. Along with them, Hassan goes to unimaginable lengths to be with the team and not miss out on Europe, hoping that this will be their ticket to a life with more opportunity.