Complaint No. 713317 Heads to Rotterdam in Late January
By Ahmed Fawzy
After winning the Best Screenplay Award at the Cairo International Film Festival, Complaint No. 713317, directed by Yasser Shafiey, is set to embark on a new journey as it travels to the Netherlands for its international premiere. The film will screen in the Bright Future section at the 55th edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), taking place from January 29 to February 8.
The Bright Future section focuses on first and second features by emerging filmmakers, showcasing bold works in terms of cinematic language and subject matter—often outside mainstream commercial formulas. It aims to discover new cinematic voices from around the world, support independent and experimental cinema, and provide an international platform for early-career directors, connecting their films with audiences, critics, and industry professionals. The Rotterdam International Film Festival is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading platforms for independent cinema and innovative directorial voices, highlighting rising talents in global filmmaking.
filmmaking.  explained that the idea for the film stemmed from a real and personally painful experience he went through when his refrigerator broke down. After attempting—and failing—to fix it through conventional means, he eventually resolved the issue and decided to transform the experience into a screenplay and a work of art. He added that he had already drafted an initial concept for the film during his journey to resolve the problem. The title Complaint No. 713317 was chosen because it was the actual complaint number he filed with Consumer Protection in his attempt to reach a solution. Through the film, he focuses on broader social and psychological dimensions, noting that while the complaint may appear to be a routine bureaucratic procedure on the surface, it ultimately reflects an entire life filled with complexities.
The story centers on Magdy and Sama, a retired couple in their sixties, who lead a quiet life in their apartment in the historic Maadi district. However, the breakdown of their refrigerator turns this calm upside down, as what seems like a minor issue spirals into a series of bureaucratic battles with a dubious maintenance company. As the refrigerator’s condition worsens, other layers of their lives begin to unravel, forcing the couple to confront fractures that go far beyond household appliances and reach into the core of their relationship and daily existence.
The film stars Mahmoud Hemida, Shereen, Hana Shiha, Mohamed Radwan, Ali El-Tayeb, Tamer Nabil, Hanan Wasfy, Enam Salousa, Mohamed Abdo, Ahmed Abdelhamid, and Gehad Hossam El Din. It is written and directed by Yasser Shafiey, with cinematography by Karim Fouad Hakim, production design by Nora Fawzy, costume design by Dina Nadeem, music by Khaled Kammar, editing by Emad Maher, and sound mixing by Mostafa Shaaban, with sound design contributions by Mohamed Salah. The film is produced by Baho Bakhsh, Safi El-Din Mahmoud, Gaby Khoury, Ahmed Badawy, and others.