Faith, Desire, and Guilt Collide in a Bold Dark Comedy

HoleY, directed by Bavly Soliman, is a fearless dark comedy that explores the complicated intersection of faith, sexuality, and cultural identity through one unforgettable night. While visiting New York from Egypt, Mark sets out to lose his virginity for the first time, only to find himself wrestling with the deeply ingrained beliefs, expectations, and anxieties that have shaped his entire life. What begins as a personal quest for freedom quickly spirals into an increasingly absurd journey where guilt, judgment, and mortality seem determined to arrive before intimacy ever does.

Drawing from deeply personal experiences while embracing sharp satire and surreal humor, HoleY transforms an intimate coming-of-age dilemma into a universally relatable examination of self-acceptance. Beneath its outrageous premise lies a compassionate portrait of someone caught between tradition and modernity, reminding us that our greatest obstacles are often the invisible expectations we carry within ourselves.

Below, we speak with director Bavly Soliman about translating personal experiences into comedy, balancing cultural specificity with universal themes, and why laughter can sometimes be the most honest way to confront our deepest fears.

HoleY tackles themes of faith, sexuality, and cultural identity through the lens of dark comedy. What first inspired Mark’s story, and what made you want to explore these subjects through humor?

The film is inspired by a deeply personal experience. Growing up in a religious Egyptian household, I found it difficult to explore my sexuality without feeling guilt or fear. Humor felt like the most honest way to approach that experience because it allowed me to confront painful subjects without becoming overly heavy or didactic. Sometimes the things that terrify us most are also absurd when we step back and look at them.

Mark finds himself caught between personal desire and the expectations placed upon him by religion, culture, and family. How did you approach portraying that internal conflict in a way that feels both specific and universal?

I started with the specifics of Mark’s background as an Egyptian Orthodox Christian, but underneath that is a struggle many people understand: the tension between who we are and who we’re expected to be. Whether the pressure comes from religion, family, culture, or society, most people have experienced that conflict in some form.

The film balances genuine emotional vulnerability with increasingly absurd circumstances. How did you calibrate that tonal shift between comedy and existential crisis?

I always treated Mark’s emotions seriously, even when the situations became ridiculous. The comedy comes from the circumstances, not from making fun of his fears. As the film progresses, the absurdity grows, but emotionally it’s always grounded in a man confronting one of the most important and terrifying moments of his life.

Despite tackling weighty themes, HoleY maintains a playful and often surreal energy. How did you approach the film’s visual language and tone to balance anxiety, comedy, and existential dread?

We wanted the audience to experience the world the way Mark does. As his anxiety grows, ordinary situations begin to feel surreal and exaggerated. The visual style embraces that heightened perspective while remaining grounded enough that the audience never loses sight of the human story underneath.

Although the film is rooted in a particular cultural and religious background, it speaks to broader questions about guilt, judgment, and self-acceptance. How important was it for you to make those themes accessible to a wider audience?

That was extremely important. The cultural details make the story authentic, but the emotional core is universal. Everyone has struggled with guilt, judgment, or the fear of disappointing others. My hope was that audiences could connect with Mark even if they come from completely different backgrounds.

There’s a recurring sense that Mark is being watched or judged, whether by society, faith, or his own conscience. How did you use visual storytelling and performance to convey that feeling?

A lot of that came through performance and perspective. We wanted the audience to feel that Mark carries judgment with him wherever he goes. The taxi driver becomes a physical representation of that pressure, but ultimately the harshest judgment comes from Mark himself.

Dark comedy often allows filmmakers to approach sensitive topics from unexpected angles. What did humor enable you to explore that a straight drama might not have?

Humor lowers people’s defenses. It allows audiences to engage with uncomfortable subjects that they might otherwise avoid. With a straight drama, viewers might focus on the seriousness of the issue. Through comedy, they’re invited to laugh first and then reflect on why they’re laughing.

The film raises questions about the relationship between tradition and modern life, especially for people navigating multiple cultural identities. Was this tension something you consciously set out to examine from the beginning?

Absolutely. As someone who grew up in Egypt and later moved to New York, I’ve experienced those tensions firsthand. Mark exists between different worlds, and I wanted to explore what happens when traditional values collide with modern freedoms and opportunities.

When audiences finish HoleY, what conversations or reflections do you hope the film sparks about identity, belief, and the pressures we place on ourselves?

I hope people leave questioning where their beliefs and fears come from. Are they truly their own, or are they inherited from family, culture, or society? More than anything, I hope the film encourages compassion toward ourselves and others as we navigate those pressures.

What are the books, podcasts, or even YouTube channels that you recommend young filmmakers get their hands on?

For books, I’d recommend Directing Actors by Judith Weston, Story by Robert McKee, and Sculpting in Time by Andrei Tarkovsky. For podcasts, Team Deakins is fantastic, and The Director’s Cut from the DGA offers great conversations with filmmakers. On YouTube, I love Every Frame a Painting, Lessons from the Screenplay, and Film Courage.

Can you share some of your favorite short films you’ve seen lately?

A few shorts that stayed with me are Discipline, Fauve (Watch on FS), and Stutterer. But my most recent favorite is Ebb & Flow by Nay Tabbara, as I find it a beautiful piece of pure filmmaking. I also continue to revisit many films from Arab filmmakers because they often balance personal storytelling with larger social questions in really inspiring ways.