ASSER YASSIN

‘Oyster perpetual’ watch by Rolex. Jewellery, knit top, and trousers, Asser’s own

Lit cigarette in hand, he confessed that one line was all it took for him to become “addicted”. Asser Yassin, one of Egypt’s most instinctive actors, hadn’t considered acting until university. It was only after filling in for a production at the last minute that he made his stage debut: “I only said one word on stage… but it was so funny.” At the time, a “shy” engineering student, the rush of unmediated connection with the audience prompted a parallel education of the craft. He voraciously consumed books and films of different languages, feeling obliged to compensate for his self-taught background. Now dynamic in conversation, his appetite for cinema remains evident. “Give me the best five movies you've ever seen,” he tells young actors. “From this, I understand a lot about the person in front of me and what they want.” Voiced in a sonorous tone, Asser spoke to 5’ELEVEN” about the state of Egyptian cinema today.

Words by Christiana Boules.

Photographed by Edwin S Freyer. Styled by Alton Hetariki. Makeup by Ehab Mahrous. Hair by Ziad Zaki. Production by AALTO. Executive Producer, Alex Aalto. Producer and Local PR, Fatma Elsharkawy. Fashion Project Manager, Jack So. Producers assisted by Hadeer Mekky. Socials by Boram Lee. Asser's assistant, Mohamed Elsohagi. Story shot at Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah. With Thanks to Noor Essam. Asser appears courtesy of Ginger Management.

The Cinema Issue 15 Cover with Asser Yassin wearing Bianca Saunders and Tommy Hilfiger

Asser’s popularity soared to new heights following his performance in the 2020 comedy series Multifaceted. With a career already spanning more than two decades, the role represented a shift in tone from the intense, layered characters he has typically played. Initially questioning his own motives for saying yes to the project, he came to a realisation – “Sometimes you do films not to say something or to deliver a message. Sometimes you're just doing it for entertainment. And people need to be entertained,” – especially pertinent considering the show’s pandemic release. Beyond simple entertainment, however, Asser remains concerned with the cultural inflections of TV and film.

According to his estimations, Egyptian cinema evolves every ten years, placing it in its second cycle following the 2011 revolution. A combination of dramatic political change, civil instability and a pandemic meant that cinemas were empty and the sector was left under financial strain. But in the cycles of change, some shifts work out for the better, he explains. “People who worked in film moved to television. With the addition of streaming services, it expanded horizontally…We elevated the whole industry.” In addition to a new generation of talent, his view is that film is undergoing a recovery due to an increase in filmmakers willing to take risks – to challenge the sector’s dependence on commercial entertainment, and to stir its decorous relationship with domestic audiences. 

Cashmere knit t-shirt by Connolly. ‘Oyster perpetual’ watch by Rolex

A trait apparent from the outside, Asser agrees that Egyptian projects tend to pointedly discuss social, political and moral values. “We do stuff for the audience, not the other way around… you have to challenge the audience.” The immediacy of the messaging, which Asser described as “spoon feeding,” risks eclipsing the artistic process. Asser believes we can learn a great deal about society, culture and ethics from stories spoken in abstractions. “I remember a lot of the movies and shows that I watched as a kid actually made me learn something – and they were not that direct at all, we regressed somehow, but I think we’re getting back there.” Theorising on the virtues of obliqueness, he goes on: “You deliver messages to the other people about Palestine, about struggles in the region, about our culture through soft power, right? So this is something we need to examine.”

Neither is the blunt approach helpful if filmmakers wish to attract international attention —  something Asser believes was achieved last by the legendary Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine. He warns against the temptation to act on the impulses of a “festival fetish,” holding that provocation for its own sake is contrived and dishonest. “Sometimes it's like — ‘let's just bring the misery’,” he continues. Arguably, any further misrepresentation of the Arabic-speaking world would lead to Western producers continuing to offer unsuitable roles. Regarding his experiences, he shared, “I did not accept them, because it was serving the stereotype of Arabs or Muslims, either being a terrorist or a plane hijacker…Guys! I know English, Spanish and French.” Of the scripts that he remembers, he has declined more than 15 such roles over the years. 

Cashmere vest, cotton t-shirt and cashmere trousers, both by Loro Piana. ‘Oyster perpetual’ watch by Rolex

The plan should therefore be to reach outside from within — not to abandon his credibility and reputation to be part of something elsewhere, he suggests. With Hollywood dominated by franchises, he argues that viewers are bored with the constant retellings and “predictable formats”, making this the right time to open up to the world. “The American market, the British market — they're looking for foreign language films. They have an appetite to watch more.” 

The credibility which he has worked to build over the course of his career lies partly in the characters he chooses to portray. The most chastening of these was playing Taha in Marwan Hamed’s adaptation of the book Diamond Dust. Released in 2018, the thriller follows Taha and his search for justice after his father was murdered. “He was everything I was not at the time. I had to lose a lot of weight, a lot of muscle. I had to be someone you wouldn't take notice of while walking down the street.” A jarring chapter in Asser’s career, the psychological impact of playing Taha was enough to challenge his working style.. Thereafter, he shifted towards a “less method” approach to acting. 

Sunglasses by Rayban. ‘Oyster perpetual’ watch by Rolex. Pinstripe cotton shirt by Bianca Saunders

Now, however, he appears sanguine. Regarding the state of Egyptian cinema, he believes it still reigns supreme within the region, supported by its rich history. Delving into Egypt’s cinema origins, which extend back to the Lumière brothers, he concludes, “It’s in the culture.” Suffused across the various facets of Egyptian identity, he proposes that there are several film titles to represent the Egyptian screen. Of the many, they include: Youssef Chahine’s 1979 Alexandria… Why? and the 1997 Destiny; Sherif Arafa’s 1992 Terrorism and Kebab and the 1995 Birds of Darkness, and finally the 1991 comedy drama, The Kit Kat, directed by Daoud Abdel Sayed. A mix of drama and comedy, Asser Yassin remarks that this is what best portrays Egypt.

This interview is inside The CINEMA Issue 15. Purchase your copy here.

Embellished lurex striped shirt by Amiri. ‘Oyster perpetual’ watch by Rolex. Black stripe trousers by Ahluwalia