Synopsis:
Adam, a fisherman's son, is offered the ultimate privilege to study at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo. When the Grand Imam suddenly dies, Adam becomes a pawn in a ruthless power struggle between Eqypt's religious and political elites.
Adam, a fisherman's son, is offered the ultimate privilege to study at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo. When the Grand Imam suddenly dies, Adam becomes a pawn in a ruthless power struggle between Eqypt's religious and political elites.
As the only Arabic-speaking graphic designer out of two graphic designers on the team, we set about quite literally turning Istanbul into Cairo. From designing license plates for cars, taxis, motorcycles, and army vehicles through to designing dozens of shop signs in Eminönü, one of Istanbul's busiest shopping districts that is home to the Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar, in an effort to transform the city. There is also, of course, the scene in the library of Al-Azhar which holds countless religious books and scriptures that was also filmed in a library in Istanbul. Up to 3,000 book covers were designed and turned into props to furnish a library full of publications in Turkish with books that seem like authentic religious texts. Add to that the complete rebranding of a coffee shop, aka. Qahwe Co., where Adam, the protagonist, holds secret meetings with an undercover police officer, as well as branding the 'Islamic International Forum' where the most influential Islamic clergymen convene to discuss religious thought.
Qahwe Co. Branding
Qahwe Co. is a fictitious coffee brand created for the film. Design work included designing the menu panels behind the counter, food item labels, and decorative in-store panels.
Scenes from the library
Up to 3,000 book covers were designed and mocked up over the course of a few days. These were intended to fill up an entire library that was initially filled with books in Turkish. The close-ups below show the final outcome as it appears in the film.
The International Islamic Forum
The forum is a key scene in the film and the entire event needed to be branded. This includes the backdrop, the main panel, table tents, and name tags.
Documents
A whole range of documents were created for the film. These include student profiles, birth certificates, Adam's letter of acceptance to Al Azhar University, and greeked passports.
