Mohammad Shawky Hassan

Mohammad Shawky Hassan is an Egyptian filmmaker, writer and video artist living and working in Berlin. His video “And on a Different Note” was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York as part of its permanent collection in 2016, and his first feature-length film "Shall I Compare You to a Summer's Day?" premiered at the Berlinale Forum in 2022.

"Watch Before Deletion" is structured as a talk show episode that traces the elusive life of Amar, a fictional queer diva who escapes her native country, Egypt, where she was a revered cultural icon, first to Lebanon and eventually to Germany, where she spent the rest of her life in exile. Her sudden death sparks speculations about her enigmatic life, whose narrative unravels through a cast of celebrity guests consisting of disciples, rivals, critics and alleged lovers.