A Netflix film by a Dutch maker: Shady El-Hamus has done it again. Crypto Boy is about a young man who wants to solve his problems with crypto trading. Current, realistic stories characterize El-Hamus, who this time gave his brother and father leading roles.
Crypto Boy is the second film that 35-year-old El-Hamus has made for Netflix. His first film, De Libi (2019), earned him a collaboration with the international streaming service. “After seeing it, they invited me for an interview. That’s where the first Netflix film was released, Forever Richout,” El-Hamus tells NU.nl.
Forever Rich was not yet finished when the young filmmaker was asked by the streaming service to make a second film. Shady El-Hamus had already decided at that moment that he wanted to make the next film together with his brother Shahine and father Sabri.
“It has been on my wish list for a while to have them play father and son,” says Shady. After getting the green light from Netflix, he called his brother.
23-year-old Shahine immediately liked the collaboration. “I have often asked Shady when he would write a role for me. Secretly I knew it would happen one day. But I expected him to wait a while,” says the Golden Calf winner.
Sabri Saad El-Hamus and Shahine El-Hamus play the leading roles in Crypto Boy as father Omar and son Amir. Photo: Netflix
‘I enjoyed watching my brother and father at work’
Working on a film with his brother and father was a special experience for Shahine. “When I wasn’t part of a scene myself, I really enjoyed watching Shady and Sabri at work. Apart from the fact that they are my brother and father, they are just very good at what they do.”
According to the brothers, there were no arguments on the film set. “The moment you make a film together, it is clear what the relationships are. Everyone has their own role and knows what needs to be done,” says Shady. According to Shahine, there was a feeling of enthusiasm above all. “We were creating something beautiful together as a family.”
Yet the family also had to switch gears: father and son argue a lot in the film, while that never actually happens in real life. Many of the arguments between Omar and Amir are about the expectations a father has of his son.
“At its core, the story revolves around an immigrant who travels to the Netherlands with nothing, has worked hard all his life and sacrificed a lot for the sake of his son. He is part of a generation that believes that you have to fight for what you want and that hard work pays off,” Shady explains. “It’s a story that you don’t often see in Dutch films.”
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Watch the trailer for Crypto Boy here
‘Our father encouraged us to look for what makes us happy’
His father himself traveled from Egypt to the Netherlands at the age of 21. It was a choice that Shady’s grandfather had a lot of trouble with. It put distance between them. “My father’s experiences have ensured that he has always encouraged us to do what we want and to look for what makes us happy,” says Shady.
And there is still plenty to dream for the brothers, even though they are already successful in their profession. New stories and characters, collaborations with certain filmmakers and actors. The brothers also see a possible career outside the Netherlands.
“I recently played a role in a German production for the first time. That was a nice experience,” says Shahine. “I think they make beautiful things in Belgium and England, for example. America also seems very cool to me, but still a bit too far from my bed. Moreover, I have not finished the Netherlands yet.”
2023-10-20 03:08:00
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