Director of the documentary “In the Hands of God”: “I find great pleasure in filming documentaries about man and his relationship with nature”

Conversational: Ayoub and Uja

The Greek philosopher Diogenes (about 421-323 BC) lived according to a philosophy based on asceticism, and believed that wisdom can only be achieved through emancipation and liberation. Man, and that in order to be liberated, the individual must get as close as possible to nature, and suffice with himself in order to get rid of all kinds of needs and connections.

One of the most famous tales that is associated with the philosopher Diogenes and constitutes an introduction to understanding his philosophy, is the one that happened to him with Alexander the Great when he passed near the barrel of Diogenes, and he stood before him with his entourage, asking him if he had a need to fulfill it for him, Diogenes replied: Yes, please move a little, because you The sun is blocking me.

We mentioned the story of the philosopher of asceticism in living Diogenes, because it is similar to the story of my hero in the documentary film "In the Hands of God", which was shown on Al-Jazeera Documentary Channel a few days ago, and tells the story of Samir, nicknamed "Amo", as he suffocated with the daily routine of work and the city, and decided to travel without an appointment to search About his friend Saeed Akli, who lives outside the framework of time and technological progress. Saeed does not use the phone or any modern means of communication, and lives according to a lifestyle similar to that of the Greek philosopher Diogenes.

In this interview conducted by Al Jazeera Documentary, the young film director Muhammad Reza Kaznai tells us about the merits of this documentary.

In fact, the trip was in the hands of God, at first we had a general perception of the story, but on our way we encountered several things that we included in the film, and there are also events that imposed themselves on us, such as the advent of the month of Ramadan, where we expected to reach Saeed before that, and we were every morning When we wake up, we adapt to the road and the events that encounter us, which made this film contain lively and spontaneous scenes, these coincidences I consider gifts from God.

As for the title of the film, it was inspired by Saeed’s words. When an uncle told him what happened with us during the trip, he replied, “You were in the hands of God.” When analyzing the matter, I find that we were really in God’s hands.

For me, I believe that the documentary is a journey of research, and that it does not necessarily prejudge its writing, but rather the writing can continue during filming, and the final writing ends with the montage.

Moroccan director Mohamed Reda Kaznay, owner of the documentary "In the Hands of God"

After the success of my short film "The Sheikh and the Mountain", which I directed while studying for a master's degree in documentary cinema in Tetouan, and its participation in several international film events, and winning several awards, including the award for the best short documentary film at the 35th session of the Alexandria Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries, and the award The Grand Master (Adobe Best of The Best) for the Zayed University Film Festival (ZUMEFF) in Dubai; I decided to try a long documentary film, and I was passionate about the idea of ​​dealing with Al Jazeera Documentary Channel to implement the idea of ​​my film project "In the Hands of God", so I sent it and I hope to realize this dream.

I think that the idea of ​​the film was an adventure, as it relied on the old-time style that we missed due to modern technology, as the film expanded on Said Lamo's saying: If you want to talk to me, take the trouble of the road and look for me.

From here, I thank Al Jazeera Documentary Channel, which believed in me and my film project, and was credited with its success at this high professional level, under the supervision of its staff who accompanied the development of the film until it became as you watched it. My thoughts and philosophy on cinema.

I think that the film took its time, as we filmed it before the month of Ramadan (2020) in addition to some of its early days, and after we finished filming, I was very excited to start the post-production process, and I did not neglect the responsibility of completing it in the way I aspire to in the required time , and helped me on that team, which I chose carefully.

I am very happy with its presentation during this holy month, and happy with the positive interaction it received from the audience.

Poster for the documentary film "In the Hands of God", which was filmed in the "Akdez" region in the eastern desert of Morocco

“Amo” the main character of the movie “In the Hand of God” is originally my uncle, and I could feel closely his suffering, his confusion at work, his daily routine and his constant nostalgia for the past. One day he told me about a friend of his named Saeed, and he told me about the dialogue that took place between them, and that he does He uses the cell phone at all, and wants to go on a trip to visit him, and get away from the whirlpool in which he lives, to regain himself that has been exhausted by the hustle and bustle of the world.

I liked this idea, and I felt that behind this dialogue is a story that can be a documentary film worth taking an adventure. Since the trip will be on foot, I chose a team with great care, with a spirit of adventure, responsibility and professionalism, and each of us was able to master several tasks, because for me this type of film does not prefer a large film crew, the shooting conditions are very harsh, We have to walk and photograph at the same time, and we used mules to carry our equipment, clothes and tents, it is difficult to manage a large number of people in these conditions that depend mainly on endurance.

The hero of the film is Samir, nicknamed "Amo", who suffocated with the daily routine of work and the city, and decided to take a trip without an appointment to find a friend for him.

I have loved to travel since my childhood, as I used to travel with my mum and dad who used to take me with them on hiking trips in hard-to-reach natural areas, and this hobby continued to grow inside me, and whenever I had the opportunity I would take an adventure to visit new places. This is what made me find great pleasure in filming documentaries about man and his relationship with nature. My love for nature and travel equals my love for cinema and creativity.

There is no doubt that I am a lover of travel and adventure films, and God willing, I will make documentaries of this type in the future, especially since Morocco is a country characterized by its unique and diverse geography, as well as its content of multiple cultures that deserve attention and documentation, and this does not mean that I will not make other types of films, whether documentary Or a novelist, it is in my nature to follow my inner feeling from which I draw inspiration, and it is necessary for me to believe in the subject matter of the film that I will direct, it must be in line with my philosophy and my vision in life.

Behind the scenes of filming "In the Hand of God" directed by Mohamed Reda Kaznay, which was filmed in the Agdz region in the eastern desert of Morocco.

Although we do not deny the popularity of these videos called "Vlogs" by the young audience, we cannot compare them with the documentary film, which relies on professional foundations and rules, in addition to creativity, using the mechanisms authorized by the film production process, which would To raise the spectator and make him wonder sometimes, cry sometimes, and laugh at other times, as do his senses and perception, so that he finds himself in front of a mirror.

Our movie "In the Hands of God" was not based on Ammo's meeting with Said, during our trip we did not know whether we would find Said in his house or not, and Ammo intended to leave a message for him if he did not find him in his home, and for me, Said is not the goal, but the means. Which prompted Amo to take this trip and search for his happiness on the way, and fortunately for us, we tasted the happiness of the road and the happiness of a happy meeting.

The moment of meeting Saeed Al-Akli, who lives outside the framework of technological progress, he does not use the phone or any modern means of communication

Because I am a master’s graduate specializing in documentary cinema, and I also have other trainings in the field of cinema and audiovisual, and due to my modest experience in this field; I see that passion is very necessary, but it is not sufficient alone. Rather, it is important that passion and talent be strengthened by training, research and practice, and keeping abreast of developments in the field. It entitles you to get close to professionals in the field and benefit from the expertise of the professors, as I consider that training is the fuel that will further ignite your talent to make your passion more luminous.

At the end of the film, Said bid farewell to his friend Ammo and told him, "Just as you came to visit me, I may come to visit you one day." When I heard this, I felt the spark of a new movie story, but I don't know if it would really start.