Imran Hamdulay & His 'The Heart Is A Muscle' Leads Talk Filming Their Family Drama on a Small Budget - Contenders International

South Africa is represented this year in the Best International Feature category with The Heart Is a Muscle, the first feature film from director Imran Hamdulay. The story follows Ryan (played by Keenan Arrison), a young father whose son goes missing during a birthday celebration. Ryans intense reaction triggers a series of events that uncover buried family secrets and guide him through a journey of self-reflection and forgiveness.

The film premiered in the Panorama section at the 2025 Berlinale. At Deadlines Contenders Film: International event, Hamdulay shared that the concept was inspired by a real-life incident he witnessed at a friends barbecue. A similar situation happened where my friends son went missing, Hamdulay explained. We all panicked, and I had never seen him so frightened and then so angry when his child was found. That mixture of fear and anger fascinated me.

The Heart Is a Muscle was produced by Hamdulay, Brett Michael Innes, and Khosie Dali, with Adam Thal serving as executive producer. Hamdulay emphasized that the project would not have been possible without Thals encouragement. Adam challenged me to create a film quickly on a minimal budget. I pitched the idea, he loved it, and he set a two-month deadline for the script, he recalled.

We ended up filming our second draft, which is unconventional, but the energy of our cast and crew drove the production. The project was modest, made with only $200,000, yet the dedication of everyone involved brought it to life, Hamdulay added.

The cast includes Keenan Arrison, Melissa De Vries, Loren Loubser, Dean Marais, Ridaa Adams, Danny Ross, Troy Paulse, and Lincoln Van Wyk. Both Arrison and De Vries also participated in the Contenders panel discussion, sharing insights about their roles.

Author: Grace Ellison