Amrou Al-Kadhi is the Writer-Director of Layla, a story that explores the conflict between desire and identity. The film stars actor Bilal Hasna who plays Layla, a London drag queen, and actor Louis Greatorex, who plays Max, the love interest. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins, speaks with Amrou Al-Kadhi, Bilal Hasna, and Louis Greatorex to discuss:

The six year process of making the film

What it’s like to watch the film multiple times at Sundance

Unexpected reactions of the audience

How making shorts helped Amrou learn to work on a set

The benefits of working with a director who has acting experience

Why the best actors hold back in some scenes 

The reason Amrou encourages actors to play against the lines

Why directors should budget for extra rehearsal time 

The casting process and chemistry read 

Memorable Quotes

“Feeling the audience be shocked was quite fun.” [7:58]

“Shorts are more like poems, whereas films are more like novels.” [9:05]

“It’s really hard to get actors to lie on screen.” [14:37]

“It’s a family you are building. You are not doing it on your own. It can be really hard, so you need to have people around you, you really trust.” [28:30]

MentionedLayla Amrou Al-Kadhi on IGBilal Hasna on IGLouis Greatorex on IG

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