Ferkesh: Omar El Zohairy | Tul8te - Habeeby Dah

In this episode of ‘Ferkesh’, we sat down with Omar El Zohairy, one of Egypt’s most acclaimed filmmakers and the director behind Tul8te’s latest music video for ‘Habeeby Dah’. Known for his bold and surreal storytelling, El Zohairy has won multiple prestigious international awards for his short films, such as the Palm Springs International ShortFest, and became the first Egyptian filmmaker selected for Cannes’ Cinéfondation competition. His debut feature film ‘Feathers’ alone scooped awards at Cannes, Carthage Film Festival, and China’s Pingyao Film Festival, just to name a few.

Zohairy breaks down the concept and creative process behind Tul8te's latest music video, giving us a look into his directing process, the doubts he wrestled with before taking on the project, and why he initially resisted turning such an emotional and painful track into a summer vibes video.

The music video for ‘Habeeby Dah’ reimagines the track through a layered short film that plays like a bittersweet coming-of-age vignette. Through cinematic cuts and simple yet evocative visuals, it retells the story of a one-sided summer romance through the eyes of young boy. who falls for a girl on a coastal vacation, only to remain on the sidelines of his own story, too shy to either approach her or confess his feelings. 

‘Ferkesh’ is SceneNoise’s series highlighting exceptional directors in the MENA music industry. As music videos play a vital role in an artist’s success, we aim to spotlight the creative minds behind the iconic visuals that captivate millions of fans.