What if the power of film isn’t in getting every detail “right,” but in capturing something deeper—an honesty you can feel? In this episode, we sit down with Mohamed El Zayat, an internationally acclaimed director whose work blurs the lines between advertising, storytelling, and art.

From People of Egypt to Lonesome Traveler, Mohamed’s films refuse to flatten people into categories. Instead, he draws on the discipline of communication, the playfulness of surreal flourishes, and the intimacy of lived experience to ask us not just to watch—but to truly see.

In our conversation, we talk about what it means to move from persuasion to meaning, how stories rooted in one place often become universal, and why being “in-between” identities can be both a weight and a gift.

We also explore the role of whimsy and exaggeration in revealing truths that realism alone can’t hold.

If you’ve ever wondered what storytelling is really for—or why some images stay with us long after the credits roll—this episode offers you something to consider.

Connect with the Guest:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zayat/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zayat_film/

Website: www.vimeo.com/mohamedelzayat

Find us at (Instagram podcast page) https://www.instagram.com/somethingtoconsider.podcast/

Listen to us (all available platforms)

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/something-to-consider/id1674861838

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/618zDVAJO0teMngLOzyKz4?si=8bfddd1364d34fc7

Connect with the Host:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dalhanbali/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/danaalhanbali

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanaAlhanbali

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@danaalhanbali

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCljHoBEeO3I_BpXCcijingQ