A short film by Egyptian director Mohamed Elbadry, POTATO is inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s painting The Potato Eaters and presents a cinematic exploration of poverty and human fragility within a confined social environment shaped by daily tension and survival.

The film relies on a restrained and concentrated visual approach, where simple details within the space become essential elements in constructing the dramatic atmosphere. Rather than depending on direct storytelling, the work builds its emotional tension through silence, gaze, rhythm, and visual composition, giving the film a contemplative realism close to observational cinema.

The film also benefits from limited lighting and narrow interior spaces to create a visual atmosphere influenced by the spirit of the original painting without falling into direct visual imitation, giving the work its own identity within contemporary independent short cinema.

At the second edition of the Kobani International Film Festival in 2021, the film received the Best Screenplay Award in recognition of its humanistic treatment and dramatic structure.

Film Information

• Original Title: POTATO
• Director: Mohamed Elbadry
• Screenplay: Marwa Mostafa
• Production Year: 2021
• Country: Egypt
• Duration: 10:10 min
• Format: Short Film
• Genre: Drama
• Cast: Lobna Wanas – Karim Abdel Aleem – Sarah Hisham – Mokhtar Ragab
• Cinematography: Mahmoud Fawzy
• Editing: Mahmoud Mahdy
• Production: Mohamed Elbadry