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]

Mentioned

Layla

Amrou Al-Kadhi on IG

Bilal Hasna on IG

Louis Greatorex on IG

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