Sherif El Laithi about “Family Wanted”: Working with Karim Abdel Aziz was one of my dreams

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Screenwriter Sherif El-Laithi is taking his steps into the world of cinematic writing, seeking to present works that combine entertainment and discussion of social issues close to people’s lives, through ideas that stem from daily details that may seem simple, but carry within them human dimensions that are worth contemplating.

The film “Family Wanted” comes within these experiences, as it places family relationships at the heart of its events, and discusses the impact of the father’s preoccupation with work responsibilities on his relationship with his children, and the gaps that his absence from the details of their lives may result from, which are difficult to compensate over time.

The film starts from a human question related to the concept of fatherhood and its responsibilities: Is it enough for a father to provide his family’s financial needs in order for him to fully fulfill his role? Or does fatherhood require presence, participation, and attention to the daily details that make up children’s lives? From this angle, the work presents an image of a father who seeks to secure his family’s future, but he may not realize that the time he spends away from it cannot be compensated for with money alone.

The idea has a personal aspect for Sherif Al-Laithi, who was partly inspired by his relationship with his father, the journalist Amr Al-Laithi, as he sees his experience as a model of balance between professional obligations and family life. This led him to think about the nature of the relationship between fathers and children, and the importance of the father’s presence in moments that may seem ordinary, but leave a significant impact on the family’s memory.

“Wanted in a Family” brings together the artist Karim Abdel Aziz and the artist Yasmine Sabry, along with Mustafa Khater, Sarah Baraka and Sami Maghawry, and it is directed by Moataz Al-Tuni.

In an interview with Al Arabiya.net and Al Hadath.net, Sherif El Laithi talked about the details of the film, the scenes behind its writing, his cooperation with its heroes, and the most prominent challenges he faced during the work, in addition to his upcoming projects.

Screenwriter Sharif El-Laithi said that the basic idea of ​​the film “Family Wanted” stemmed from his desire to discuss the relationship between the father and his children, especially when work takes over the father’s time to the point that it is removed from the details of their daily lives. He explained that the film presents a concept of fatherhood that goes beyond the limits of spending and providing material needs, to emphasize the importance of presence and participation in the lives of children.

He added that the film deals with relationships within the home and the situations and paradoxes that may arise from them, especially when the responsibilities of family members overlap and their viewpoints differ, which allows room for presenting comedy through events and the interaction of characters, instead of relying on direct laughter alone.

Al-Laithi expressed his happiness in cooperating with the artist Karim Abdel Aziz, stressing that working with him was one of the dreams that came true during his career, and that his presence in the film represents an important addition to the experience. He explained that cooperating with an artist with great experience gives him special enthusiasm, noting that what he hopes is for the work to be produced in a way that satisfies the audience and gives them an enjoyable viewing experience.

He added that his happiness extends to working with the rest of the film team, pointing out that cooperating with Asmaa, who appreciates her artistic experiences, represents an opportunity to learn and gain experience, and that the success of the work in reaching people and achieving interaction with them remains the most important goal for him.

Regarding the characters he wrote for the film, Al-Laithi explained that he enjoyed working on their various details, but he felt special sympathy for the character “Farouk”, presented by Karim Abdel Aziz, because of the pressures he faces and attempts to reconcile work responsibilities and his family life.

He pointed out that sympathy for the character does not necessarily mean agreeing with all of his actions, but it helps the writer understand his motives and present him as a human character with his own circumstances and contradictions, which gives him a degree of credibility within the events.

Al-Laithi confirmed that one of the most prominent challenges he faced while writing “Family Wanted” was preserving the comedic character of the film, while not losing the social message on which it is based. He explained that the success of this type of work is linked to the writer’s ability to integrate the idea into the events in a natural way, without it turning into a direct speech to the audience.

Al-Laithi spoke about his cooperation with director Moataz Al-Tuni, expressing his happiness at working with him on two films, praising his experience in presenting comedy and his keenness to provide a positive atmosphere on the filming site. He pointed out that understanding between the director and actors contributes to presenting scenes more spontaneously, especially in comedies that require harmony in performance, timing, and reactions.

He added that the experience of working with Tony was positive for him, and that he appreciated the cooperation that brought them together, hoping that the film would achieve success and that his idea would reach the audience in the way the makers wanted.

Regarding his upcoming projects, Sherif El Laithi confirmed his desire to continue writing comedies, explaining that making the audience happy and providing content capable of giving them an enjoyable viewing experience represents a primary motivation for him, indicating that he is working on a new project.