Experiencing Interruptions?

The New Tenant

After spending few months in the USA, a horrific incident pushes Nader to escape from New York to Boston and finds himself living with three complete strangers. Trying to stay low to escape his dark past as he struggles with his own identity, his demons find their way back to haunt him.

  • Youssef Hesham
    Director
    The Morning After (2017), Extreme Close-Up (2005), The Greatest of Sins (2006), Istabl Antar's Dream (2006)
  • Youssef Hesham
    Writer
    The Morning After (2017), Extreme Close-Up (2005), The Greatest of Sins (2006), Istabl Antar's Dream (2006)
  • Youssef Hesham
    Producer
    The Morning After (2017), Extreme Close-Up (2005), The Greatest of Sins (2006), Istabl Antar's Dream (2006)
  • Ramy Allam
    Producer
  • Fady Demian
    Key Cast
    "Nader"
  • Tanya Avendaño Stockler
    Key Cast
    "Raquel"
  • Rafael Silva
    Key Cast
    "Daniel"
    Little Women (2019)
  • Abhishek Pandya
    Key Cast
    "Amrit"
  • Gregory Romein
    Key Cast
    "Jim"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Mystery, Thriller
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes 50 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 10, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Egypt
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Emerson College
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Emerson College
    Boston
    United States
    (Thesis Screenings were canceled due to Covid-19)
    The President's Award
Distribution Information
  • I Am Film
    Sales Agent
    Country: Egypt
Director Biography - Youssef Hesham

Youssef Hesham is a film director, writer, producer, festival programmer, and university teacher.
He earned his MFA degree if Film and Media Arts from Emerson College (2020). Winner of The President’s Award from Emerson College, Class 2020.
He was awarded the Fulbright Grant in 2017.
He works as a regional programmer for Cairo International Film Festival. Part-time faculty at the British University in Egypt.
He studied TV broadcasting as an undergraduate while studying film separately. He started working professionally in 2003. Since 2003 Youssef has directed thirteen short fiction and documentary. His body of work has different styles and genres with themes on identity, society, loneliness and violence.
In 2011, Youssef started writing film articles/studies about world filmmakers and modern films, and they were published in El Kahira newspaper, a publication held by the Egyptian ministry of culture specialized in arts and literature. He worked as a selection committee member for Ismailiya International Film Festival in 2013. He worked as a competition manager for the "Real Time Competition" in Shnit World Festival in 2016 and 2017 editions.

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Director Statement

The New Tenant, is inspired from my first month in the US when I I had to rent a room from a company’ I found on the web. I was uncomfortable with the idea of renting a room with people who I know nothing about as the company refused to share any of my roommates' data, not even their names. The three of us were came from different parts of the world, but we all agreed on the company’s general flakiness and discussed the absurdity of the idea of not even telling you who you will live with. The possibilities of strangers living together, with each's secrets and luggage was the main catalyst to write this film. The loneliness and estrangement I felt during this month, inspired the film's mood and feel.
The New Tenant is a movie made in the US by an Egyptian filmmaker, with an Egyptian protagonist/leading actor and an international cast. It is a moody piece that meditates on identity, self-confrontation, masculinity, estrangement, and loneliness. The film’s intimate themes can be interpreted into global and timely ones about human interaction and immigrants.