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The final scenes of Bahrain's latest feature film 4 Girls was being captured today on location in the kingdom.
Despite facing innumerable challenges such as filming at different sites, gaining permission from governmental departments, a change of cast and a tight budget, the crew wrapped up shooting in less than 20 days. Complete with humour, romance and tragedy, the film, 4 Girls is attempting to portray a contemporary image of Bahrain.
Production manager Soha Turk said: "It has been quite a challenge but we are very happy with the filming thanks to a fantastic cast and crew."
The story line revolves around four young women and their dreams, ambitions and career aspirations. Penned by scriptwriter Hamad El Shahabi and directed by Hussein El Hulaybi, the film portrays how they set up an all-women car wash company and the prejudices they have to confront.
Produced by the Bahrain Film Production Company the film has a BD250,000 budget and is likely to be ready for release in the New Year after editing and final production is carried out in India.
The cinema industry in this country is starting to grow and already three other feature films - Al Hajiz (The Barrier), 1990, Za'er (Visitor), 2004 and Hekaya Bahrainiya (A Bahraini Tale), 2006, have been made by the kingdom's lone filmmaker Basam Al Thawadi, who is the executive producer of this offering.
Ibtissam Atawi - Iman
The cast of 4 Girls talk to GulfWeekly's Anasuya Kesavan
Ibtissam, 25, portrays a carefree girl who is light-hearted, funny and loud who is unable to find a job anywhere ... until the car wash post becomes vacant.
Ibtissam, from Muharraq, has been an actress since the age of 13 and has acted in several television serials. '4 Girls', she said was a big step in her career. She says the film will send out a "deep and provocative message in a very simple way". Ibtissam is married to policeman Mahmood Al Attawi and they have two children - Ahmed, eight, and Shahad, six.
Hiba el Durri as Noura
Hiba plays the role of Noura, a public relations graduate who is unable to find a job. She finally agrees to work at the car wash company inherited by her aunt (played by Souad Ali). Noura has a past. She is a divorcee who was married to a religious fundamentalist and is now engaged to Hassan (played by Hasan el Majed) who does not want her to work at the car wash.
Hiba, 25, from Egypt, has been an actress since her teens and dreams of winning a top role in Egyptian cinema.
Shayma Janahi as Amal
Shayma, from Arad, plays the part of a girl constantly abused by her alcoholic step-father.
She escapes and finally makes her way to the all-girl car wash company.
Coming from a filmmaker's family, Shayma has been acting since the age of five.
Her father Mohammed Janahi is an established director and cameraman in Bahrain and her younger brother Hisham, 13, is an actor.
This is her second feature film having acted earlier in A Bahraini Tale.
Dareen Khaled as Maryam
Dareen is the 'new face' of the Bahraini film industry. In her role as Maryam, she is a serious, hardworking daughter of a divorced mother who does not believe in confining herself to her house.
Maryam is concerned about the way people talk about her mother. Her fiancŽ, played by popular singer Khaled Fouad, is highly protective and is against her chosen car wash career.
Dareen, 24, is a management and literature graduate from Trent University in Canada. This is her first major role.
