Egypt’s "Safe Exit" Wows Berlinale Audience

Egypt’s second film at the Berlinale in as many years, "Safe Exit" by Mohammed Hammad, held a full house world premiere and was met with strong audience applause at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 12th-22nd), screening as part of its Panorama Program.

The premiere was attended by the film’s creative team, including Director Mohammed Hammad, Producer Kholoud Saad, Co-producers Dora Bouchoucha, May Odeh, and Zorana Musikic, Cinematographer Mohammed Elsharqawy, and Cameraman Mostafa Abdelazem.

Introducing the film on stage, Director Mohammed Hammad delivered a short speech in which he expressed his joy at presenting his work to the Panorama audience, renowned for their love of cinema, emphasizing that the film was created with great passion by the team and sharing his hope that it would resonate with those in attendance. Following the screening, a lively Q&A session took place featuring Hammad, Kholoud, and Dora.

"Safe Exit" continues its Berlinale run with six additional screenings: 10 am on Sunday, February 15th at Cubix 9; 7 pm on Monday, February 16th at Cubix 7; 2 pm on Tuesday, February 17th simultaneously at CinemaxX 5 and CinemaxX 6; 10 pm on Friday, February 20th at Zoo Palast 2; and 12:35 pm on Saturday, February 21st at Cubix 9 — bringing the total to seven screenings across the festival.

A multi-national co-production between Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Qatar, and Germany, "Safe Exit" follows Samaan, a young security guard who belongs to a generation whose parents were murdered by religious violence in the Arab region over the past decade. Once children, they are now young adults in their early twenties, still struggling with inherited trauma.

The film continues Hammad’s ongoing collaboration with Pareidolia Productions to create independent cinema that confronts complex and often unspoken social realities within Egyptian society. 

With "Safe Exit", the director deepens his exploration of how belief systems can be distorted into instruments of violence — and how the consequences ripple long after headlines fade.

Producers describe the film as a portrait of unresolved collective trauma tied to religious identity, approached not as spectacle but as lived experience.

Following the international success of his acclaimed debut feature Withered Green, "Safe Exit"—written, directed, and produced by Mohammed Hammad—is produced by Kholoud Saad (Withered Green) and co‑produced by Dina Farouk (Daughters of Abdul-Rahman), Dora Bouchoucha (Aisha Can't Fly Away), and Ibrahim El Batout (Ali, The Goat and Ibrahim) under the banners of Pareidolia Productions, Nomadis Images, and Wika Productions.

The film stars Marwan Waleed, Noha Foad, and Hazem Essam, with cinematography by Mohammed El Sharqawy, editing by Dina Farouk, score by Ahmad Nazmy, and sound by Ahmad ElTawel.

"Safe Exit" is distributed in the Arab World by MAD Distribution, with MAD World handling international sales.