Ahmed Samir Farag revealed his beginnings in the world of art, mentioning that he was the first candidate to participate in the film "Al-Mashbuh" (The Suspicious), but his mother refused, admitting that star Karim Abdel Aziz was more suitable for the role. He added that his boldness does not allow him to stand in front of the camera as an actor, but he finds himself in directing, which he has belonged to since childhood, especially since his father worked as a cinematographer and used to consider directing a lesser profession.

He explained that Adel Imam tried to advise him to stay away from the directing department and instead enter the fields of cinematography or editing to have a stable career. He also mentioned many disagreements he had with his father and the institute’s professors due to his choice of directing instead of cinematography, which pushed him to work hard to prove himself beyond expectations.
His relationships with artists and previous works
The director talked about his relationship with well-known artists like Ahmed Fahmy, Hisham Majed, and Chico, saying he was excited to work with them since the film "Waraqat Shafra" (Code Paper). He mentioned they planned to make a film titled "Al-Rajul Al-Anab" (The Corn Man), but he declined it, and the work was later turned into a series after some years.

He also pointed out the challenges faced during the filming of "Banat Al-Am" (Cousins’ Girls), describing it as a difficult film for the team, especially in coordinating between the female and male cast. They read the scripts together to adjust dialects and correct details until the characters came out natural and logical.

The message and impact of “Banat Al-Am”
He confirmed that the main goal of the film "Banat Al-Am" was simply to make the audience happy and laugh, without sending complex messages, especially since the film was released during a difficult period after the January revolution. He noted that the highest daily revenue of the film was on the day of the Port Said massacre, when cinemas stayed open 24 hours to give people a chance to entertain themselves and escape their harsh reality.

He emphasized that the film succeeded in bringing joy to viewers amid tough social circumstances, with many describing it as a form of charity given to them.

Experience with magic and the works in “Al-Maddah”
Ahmed Samir Farag spoke about his personal experience with issues related to magic and occult practices, which lasted for years before presenting the series "Al-Maddah." He witnessed firsthand the harm caused by these phenomena, which motivated him to use the series as a platform to warn people and alert them to the dangers.
He referred to a conversation with a sheikh in 2013 who treats people for free, who revealed important rituals for those wishing to repent from practicing magic. These include the necessity of confessing to the harmed person and asking for their forgiveness, warning that failure to do so is considered disbelief—a fact many people are unaware of.

He also revealed cases of prominent businessmen who used to bring sheikhs from Morocco to spend days treating magic-related issues, reflecting the extent of the phenomenon’s spread.

Success of “Al-Maddah” amid production challenges
The director explained that the budget of the series "Al-Maddah" was relatively low compared to other big productions airing during the same Ramadan season, not exceeding 27 million Egyptian pounds, while other series surpassed 100 million pounds. Nevertheless, the show managed to rank among the top five most-watched series, prompting producers to prepare a second season.

Regarding rumors about strange or supernatural occurrences during the filming, he confirmed these were just subconscious imaginations and did not reflect reality.