Man of action

Bahraini director and storyteller Mohammed AlFahad has released, what he claims is, Bahrain’s first action film, with a bigger project for an accompanying series currently in the works.

The short film, Chasing Dragons: Blades of Faith is also set for its first public screening at the much-awaited Bahrain Comic Con on May 2 and 3.

Set in a dystopian world, the 11-minute production follows protagonists Agent Double8 (Mohammed) and H (Ahmed Bahman), who battle a force of masked warriors as part of a greater mission to track down a mysterious suspect tied to a critical operation that threatens the state of the world as they know it.

The movie blends elements of action, a psychological thriller and science fiction, which delivers intense drama packed with tightly choreographed martial arts sequences, and highlights the ‘action’ genre that, according to Mohammed, is not common in the local filmmaking scene.

“In Bahrain, we have a lot of comedy and horror filmmakers, and I wanted to create something new for fans of action and superhero movies and comics,” the 36-year-old told GulfWeekly.

 “Chasing Dragons started as a passion project in 2020, when we introduced the characters through an episode (short video) titled Operation Corona. People really loved it and wanted more, so after the Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, we returned to the idea. The film was completed in February this year,” he added.

“It draws inspiration from Japanese animation shows, which always have a moral behind their story, and the moral behind Chasing Dragons is to always stand up for what is right and never give up, and that good always trumps evil.”

The creative entrepreneur has had a passion for films since he was a young boy.

“I used to be a theatre kid and acted in theatre productions during my school days and wrote stories and made short films with friends,” he revealed.

He used his degree in accounting and management to launch Hollyoud Studios in 2020, a subsidiary of his company Hollywood Ventures. Since its establishment, the studio has helped local talent by providing casting opportunities, including an upcoming Bollywood Netflix series, which was filmed in Bahrain in February; Mohammed will also feature in some of the action scenes for the show.

“My mission through Hollyoud Studios is to celebrate local talent, we are aiming to continue casting and collaborating with Khaleeji actors, directors and producers, and are hoping to create films in English and Arabic to reach a wide audience,” he said.

The Jeet Kune Do practitioner has a passion for martial arts, which is showcased in the Chasing Dragons universe.

Jeet Kune Do is a hybrid martial art conceived and practised by Bruce Lee, which Mohammed learned during his time living in the US.

 “When I was 18, I had the opportunity to move to San Francisco, where I continued my education and began training in martial arts, and was extremely inspired by Bruce Lee, which is reflected in the Chasing Dragons universe,” Mohammed said.

The short film is available to watch on Hollyoud TV on YouTube.

For more details, follow @hollyoud.tv on Instagram.