The Egyptian series Sohab Al Ard (The Land Owners) shows the daily lives of Gazans during the October 7th 2023 war. It aired during Ramadan on the Al-Hayat channel and is also available on the Watch It platform.
In 15 episodes it portrays the tragedy experienced by Gazans through the eyes of two protagonists: Nasser, a Palestinian who lost his family in a bombing, is trying to survive with his young nephew, and Salma, an Egyptian volunteer doctor, is working in a hospital in the Gaza Strip.
Produced by United Studios, the series is written by Ammar Sabry and directed by Peter Mimi. Mohammed Al-Diasty, who pitched the project to United Media Services, explains to +972 that the series sets out to “convey the scale of the tragedy the population is experiencing and how they have remained steadfast.”
For the Egyptian group, the series was a resounding success, reaching nearly 20 million viewers. During its broadcast it was also among the most Googled subjects in Egypt.
Within the Middle East the series sparked considerable reaction, particularly among Gazans, whose reception, according to the online magazine +972, “was mixed”. As noted by Orient XXI, Gazan writer Samaher Al-Khazendar wrote on her social media: “Today, I watched the episode showing the humanitarian aid drop. I cried my eyes out, not because the scene was realistic, but because it was sanitised.”
Sources: Egypt Today, Daily News, +972, Orient XXI
