Said to be making a splash in Egypt currently, where it opened in theaters last week is Magy Morgan’s drama Asham, the director’s fictional feature film debut, after making several documentaries.

Asham follows various interconnected stories centered on different characters in search of hope and happiness, while dealing with despair, set against the backdrop of the bustling city they call home: Cairo.

Shot between Cairo and Alexandria, the film, which aims for a naturalistic ambiance (makes sense, since the director works primarily in documentaries), relied heavily on rehearsals and improvisation sessions with the actors in advance of shooting in order to create the characters, and during filming as well. It’s set in a variety of locations, including streets, coffee shops, and bars, which reportedly led to some technical issues, and in some cases, unscheduled daily production changes.

“In Egypt, we often work in spite of the system, not because of it,” Morgan writes in a press release about the film. “The one thing that works for us is the presence in Egypt now of a supportive, independent film scene.“

Director Mohamed Khan and theatre director Mahmoud El-Lozy star in the film which also features newcomers in Amina Khalil, Salma Salem, Seif El-Aswany, Shady Habashy, Marwa Tharwat, Mona El Shimi, Mina El-Naggar, Naglaa Younes, Noha El-Khouly, Hany Eskandar and Hany Seif.

Asham previously traveled the international film festival circuit, including the third Tribeca Film Festival in Doha in October 2011, where it received lots of critical acclaim as “a unique film experience for the writer and director.“

The film is produced by Film Clinic.

No word on whether it’ll travel.

Here’s it’s trailer: