Jordanian director Rami Yassin says that the fire that broke out in his house and his mother's heroic response, saving him and his brother, inspired his latest film Khat Dam (Bloodline). The film sparked widespread controversy in the Arab world after it was marketed as the first Arab vampire movie.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Yassin explains that a number of the scenes that were mocked by some were "black comedy" scenes that had been intended to be funny.
The movie, which is currently available on a digital platform, tells the story of a married couple, Nader and Lamia. After a car accident, one of the couple's twin sons goes into a coma that lasts for about a year and a half, with no hope for recovery. So, the couple decides to turn their son into a vampire! The plan works, and the son awakens from his coma, setting off a series of events that change the family forever.
Yassin starts by saying: "I have been a fan of horror movies since childhood, especially vampire movies, but I also love deep drama films that reflect the human condition and mirror society. I have always wanted to combine the two styles and make a drama thriller."
On his childhood inspiring the film, he says: "While my father was at work at the television station, and my mother was breastfeeding my younger brother upstairs, my other brother and I were playing with matches in the basement, which started a fire in the house. To save us from certain death, my mother showed supernatural heroism. So I grew up with the idea that a mother can do the impossible to protect her family. That is how the film's idea crystallized in my mind, and I liked it because it is new and had never been incorporated into the world of vampire movies before."
Vampires were featured before in Arab cinema, in the Egyptian film 1993 Anyab (Teeth), directed by Muhammad Shibl and starring Ali Al-Hajjar, Ahmed Adawiya, and Mona Gabr. However, Yassin believes that “the film is a new step in the world of Arab cinema, not just because of the subject; but also because of the character development, plot, cinematography, location, and even the makeup and costumes. I wanted to present it in a modern setting, but classically, so I expected to receive mixed reactions. Many enjoyed the film and loved its novel style, and others did not like it. The important thing is that the film generated debate, and this is something that filmmakers love.”
Yassin says he has the right to present his film in line with his personal artistic vision. People also have every right to express their opinion, saying: “When I directed the film, my goal was not to present a pure horror movie, but a film that mixed drama with thrilling horror, and I wanted to draw viewers in by telling the story one scene after the other.”
In response to the sharp criticism of the film, he says: "The film is not made for a mainstream audience, but for those who love this type of film, which is a drama mixed with classic, thrilling horror. Even the scenes that made some people laugh were deliberate. They were meant to give some space for what we call black comedy situations."
Yassin considers himself lucky because Egyptian actress Nelly Karim and Tunisian star Zafer El Abidine accepted roles in the film: "Since the first day of filming, I could see my characters, Lamia and Nader, as I had imagined them. I even was calling them by their characters' names the entire time. Their performances exceeded all my expectations, of course. I do not think that anyone else could have played these two characters with the same depth and played the roles precisely as I wanted."
