A warm camera that takes you to a world filled with love and a real, non-fussy reality that constitutes the feature of Lebanese director Sophie Boutros in the series “The Stranger.”
This series, which is achieving high viewership rates today on the “Shahid” platform, is Boutros’s first experiences in the world of drama. Her career, which she climbed step by step, was colored by producing song clips for her sister Julia Boutros, Nancy Ajram, Rashid Al Majed, Nawal Al Kuwaitia, and others. She then crowned him with the film “Mahbas”, which in turn was a significant success.
With the series “Al-Gharib,” she entered the world of drama through its broad scope, especially since she cooperated in it with one of the leading companies, “Al-Sabah Brothers,” which provided her with the opportunity to achieve her vision of dramatic directing.
With Syrian actor Bassam Koussa, hero of the series “The Stranger” (Sophie Boutros)
“The Stranger” tells the story of a young man, Rami (Adam Al-Shami), who accidentally kills his friend Ihab. His father, Youssef (Bassam Koussi), a judge known for his integrity, is forced to flee Syria with his family to Lebanon. He begins his journey with choices he never imagined he would one day make. He embarks on a path laden with difficulties and suffering, which puts him in critical situations. The series is characterized by a dramatic and social nature, with wide areas of action and excitement. Boutros believes that the script of the series played the largest role in the directing process. It is written by Lana Al-Jundi and Lubna Haddad, whom she describes as a friend and partner.
She told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We agreed from the beginning on the context of the story and its heroes, and they were very open to understanding the importance of the director’s connection to the text. I consider this relationship between the two parties a necessity and a sacred need that should not be tolerated. The stronger the relationship between the writer and director, the more it results in an understanding that reflects positively on the work as a whole.”
While photographing this work, Sophie Boutros searched for what could be revealed as reality and reality. The viewer interacts with him as if he were a participant in it. “It is the rule that I set before my eyes from the beginning. From there, I embarked on a directing process that translates this vision of mine. I spoke at length with the work team so that we could ride the same wave together. My ambition was to touch the viewer closely. He is not just someone sitting in front of the screen to pass his time.”
Sophie with rising actor Adam Al-Shami (Sophie Boutros)
The positive feedback Boutros hears about the series today reinforces her opinion. It is true that spreading the spirit of truth in drama is difficult work, but she stuck to it because it was essential for her. “I wanted to convey feelings and sensations without displaying muscles. I do not like to underestimate the viewer’s intelligence, and I worked to break this barrier between him and the screen so that his relationship with it became costless.”
The entire casting process for the series was handled by Sophie Boutros, and she had the choice to put the names of the actors she wanted to collaborate with. Indeed, she chose the appropriate name for each character participating in the series. “I was looking for someone to translate the roles with his features and facial expressions, without the need for a mic.” And also without exaggeration or deficiency in performance, in order to highlight the truth that I wanted to characterize the work with. “I was lucky with the cast I worked with.”
Boutros recites the names of all the actors, starting with Bassam Koussa, Farah Bseiso, and Adam Al-Shami, passing through Saeed Sarhan and Salma Shalabi. And all the way to Sandy Nahhas, Muhammad Aqeel, and Nazem Issa. “All these names that made up the list of actors were the winning card for me. Since the selection process, I have realized that I have passed halfway. Most importantly, they succeeded in the task they were entrusted with. They believed in their roles and played them with great professionalism, and they accomplished a wonderful job.”
Production companies usually get involved in naming the heroes of a dramatic work. Sometimes this intervention comes from the author of the work. How did it happen that I was given complete freedom to do the casting? She responds to Asharq Al-Awsat: “First, I thank Al-Sabah Company for inviting me to produce this series. And therefore because it provided me with a space of freedom to choose its stars. Bassam Koussa, we agreed from the beginning on his participation. The rest of the names I put forward over time, and I did the job perfectly.”
Bassam Koussa in the series “The Stranger” (Sophie Boutros)
Boutros collaborated with Bassam Koussa in her film “Mahbas”. Since then, a high professional relationship has been born between them. “I had no hesitation in choosing him because of his high professionalism. He does not need a certificate from me to talk about his acting creativity. He is a person who is pleasant to deal with due to his humility and the nature of his dealings with others without pretentiousness. He is a big name in the world of Arab drama, but it makes you feel that he does not live this fame. His only understanding is to make the work a success, so he supports and assists the rest of the team without hesitation.”
Among the actors who stand in front of the camera for the first time is one of the heroes of the work, Adam Al-Shami. “He is a recent graduate of the Syrian Technical Institute, and has never participated in a dramatic work. Imagine! I did casting with him (online). I liked it and immediately invited him to share the work with us.”
Boutros promises the viewer of the series “The Stranger” that boredom will not creep in throughout the show’s 12 episodes. “There are successive events that will motivate him to continue the series until the end. The context of the story will remain at the same enthusiastic and exciting pace. “What I can say is that he will remain calm until the end.”
Boutros believes that the rhythm of the work, which is far from monotonous, is produced by a well-written text, which convinces the viewer and drives him to relate to its events. “All these questions and feelings of anxiety were created by the intelligent text of the work. We left the viewer with wide areas that draw big question marks for him, so that he is not just a spectator, but rather a researcher and analyst who is occupied with the plot of the text.”
Boutros confirms that the story of the series is not true, but after filming it, she heard that there were two people in reality who lived the same experience. The entire filming process took place in Lebanon. Specifically between the Furn El Chebbak and Dekwaneh areas. “We chose many indoor and outdoor filming locations in several areas of Beirut. Lebanon is full of natural decorations that are suitable for depicting different stories, regardless of their type.”
In her opinion, the days have proven this fact about the Land of the Cedars, and Lebanese and other dramatic works were carried out there, in large numbers. “This happens all year round in Lebanon. Its weather, sky, houses, and buildings are all cinematic and dramatic elements par excellence. We notice today that there is a longing that the Arab viewer has for Lebanon’s natural decorations. There is no doubt that Al-Sabah Company and other leading companies contributed to this and strengthened Lebanon’s role in this industry.”
Our youth today need someone to pay attention to their concerns and problems and a drama that resembles them
Al-Sharq Al-Awsat asks Sophie Boutros about the secret of her warm camera and she replies: “A difficult question indeed, but this human relationship that connects me with my work team while I am on the filming site justifies it.” There are feelings of support, love, and support that I love to shade any work environment I do. Perhaps this reflects warmth on my camera, as I care when I look back to carry a beautiful memory of every experience I go through.”
Sophie follows the “strange” Boutros like other people: “Sometimes with my husband and sometimes alone. I prefer to appreciate people’s reactions and to discover mistakes and practice good self-criticism on myself. It’s no secret if I say that I feel happy when I receive positive feedback. It makes me happy, but at the same time it reinforces my feelings of fear about the next step. By the way, I am preparing a new drama series soon. It differs in its subject matter from (The Stranger), as it is directed more at the younger generation.
In her opinion, this generation is drawn to Arabic dramas, even though in the recent past it refrained from watching them, preferring foreign series and Western platforms such as Netflix. She concludes to Asharq Al-Awsat: “Our youth today need someone to pay attention to their concerns and problems and to drama that resembles them.”
