After conquering the television, Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf is set to become a hero on the big screen, with the Palestinian's remarkable story being made into a feature film by an Oscar-nominated director.
A trailer for the movie was unveiled on Sunday, March 23, on broadcaster MBC's nightly entertainment show ET Bil Arabi.
The film, shot in Jordan, is directed by Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad, whose 2005 film Paradise Now and 2013's Omar were nominated for Academy Awards.
Judging by the 30 second teaser trailer, the untitled film is set to tug at the heartstrings, with scenes showing a young Assad singing on a makeshift stage in his Gaza neighbourhood.
This is followed by a section in which his parent’s refuse to give him their blessing to pursue his musical dream by becoming a wedding singer.
Then we switch to a slightly older Assad, by this time a popular and in-demand singer in Gaza, as he negotiates a hard bargain with a concert promoter.
The trailer didn't show any scenes of his struggle to compete in Arab Idol in 2013 or his triumph on the show no doubt to fuel rumours on who will play the judges, particularly the Egyptian starlet Nancy Ajram and fiery Emirati diva Ahlam.
Representatives from MBC and Mohammed Assaf were not available for comment. The film’s title and release date has yet to be announced.
See the trailer here
