S1E1: The Introduction and Amir El-Masry
Our pilot episode features a short introduction to The Smith Society podcast, the story behind it, what you can expect and what’s in a name. More importantly, this episode features a conversation with the star of the new Focus Features’ film Limbo, Amir El-Masry.
You may know Amir El-Masry from his work in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, Tom Clancy's “Jack Ryan,” Industry, The One, or one of his many other roles. But Amir’s performance in Limbo, taking on the lead role of Omar, is by far one of the most extraordinary performances I have seen in years, and as you’ll hear in this episode, it made me rearrange the entire first season of the podcast.
We discuss how important Limbo is for the world, his absolutely incredible performance and how he prepared for it, his favorite football club, how he got into acting, the food I must have when I visit Cairo and much more. Limbo is out now, and I recommend you all see it as soon as possible, then tell all your friends and family to see it. I truly believe this film can make the world a better place.
Guest: Amir El-Masry: instagram.com/amirelmasry
Duane Fernandez: Hello and welcome. I'm Duane Fernandez and this is The Smith Society podcast.
Okay, so here's the deal. I've been working on this podcast for about three years now, really just the idea of it. I've done some test interviews, I've done some full interviews and then the pandemic hit. So it just messed with the timeline of everything. But during that time, I've been really thinking about the format and how to execute what I believe is the perfect type of interview. It's harder than you think. I've been doing interviews for about 15, 17 years in a variety of formats and I really have put together a methodology around how I approach them and how I actually execute them. You can take a look at a show that's had a huge impact on my life inside the actor's studio. I absolutely admire James Lipton since his approach was effortless, has genuine curiosity. You can see it through the screen and you feel like you're in the room.
And he has a passion for sharing those conversations with the masses. Whether it's the students on campus through his program, his live events. He was very passionate about doing an interview, sharing those conversations. The show wasn't about him, it was about his guests and his audience. He gave his guests the stage and the freedom emotionally on the stage to share their stories and their experiences. And there were some really incredible moments that happened. When you look at those people he featured, his interviews framed their journey, not his. Ultimately, he created this unlimited value to his audience. He was able to share an individual's successes and their disappointments in a way that really connected with those who were part of it. His approach was absolutely brilliant. He was subtle in his design, he was subtle in execution and needless to say, the show is a high benchmark. That's a show I want a model and I'm sure it'll take me many, many years to even get close to it. And the pandemic and the way we've had to do interviews now is slightly different.
Not being in the same room and sharing those spaces has made it challenging, but we'll get there. And The Smith Society podcast is really about that, creating a place for people to come and share their stories. My goal is to put the spotlight on my guests squarely, that's it. Well, before I get too far into really the meat and potatoes of everything, I have to say that I'm an audiophile and that could be very important to know over the next few years. One of the big elements of the podcast that I developed was that every interview was going to be recorded at an iconic sound recording studio, somewhere in the world, London, New York, Paris, all over the place. And the idea is that with each guest, I was going to marry their history, elements of their life to the perfect recording studio, but that changed with COVID.
And I've had to find a variety of new ways to do interviews using remote crews to record while I'm in one place and they're in another via Zoom. And obviously the audio side was a little bit challenging. So it is important to note that as we move forward to the next year, the audio of these podcasts will become very rich and I believe that's really important to the story. So what's in a name? The easy answer is that I'm obsessed with secret societies. So The Smith Society itself is a secret society in a way that anyone who wants to be a part of it can be unlike other secret societies. I've been obsessed with secret societies. I find how they've been a part of society and culture truly fascinating. But the idea that I find truly fascinating, this group of people who are... And there's all variety of reasons they exist.
But the idea is that they could control knowledge in a weird way. So they have the insights to history and knowledge that they share amongst themselves and use it in a way to further their agenda, whatever it may be. So I've always loved their iconography. When you see their logo, their marks and how they developed the meaning behind it. So when I was developing the name The Smith Society, it took a while. But what I landed on was the idea that the people that I'm going to feature on the podcast are experts. They're craftsmen and women in their field who've spent their entire careers refining a skill. In short, it's the craftsmen society. And that's the name. The logo, I'll get into further in future episodes, but that took quite some time as well and I worked with one of my favorite designers, Chris Scott, who I've worked with for quite some time.
And we spent a long time developing the identity, so I'll share that in another episode. But that is the background behind the name. Okay, so now into the meat and potatoes. I have an insatiable curiosity. I think I have had one since I was born. I love learning about everything and anything. I love learning about people. If I'm on the plane, I love to strike up a conversation with somebody and just learn something new that I just never knew. Everybody has a really cool story to share. And I think the more conversations you have with people and the further you can have these conversations with people who are so far from what your experiences are, you can have such incredible impact on your life. So one of the things was that I wanted to create a podcast because honestly, a lot of people I've seen hosting podcasts don't look like me.
So by that very nature of their conversations, the questions they ask are a little different than the ones I'm curious about. And so I started this challenge, again three years ago, and I wanted to really focus on storytellers. Storytellers are fascinating to me. I think all creatives are in general, but I find them fascinating for so many reasons. But most importantly, the vulnerability. It takes a lot to be a storyteller, it takes a lot to be a creative. You're constantly taking things that are very personal to you, and then putting them out in the world to be judged, be critiqued. And it takes a long time for someone to get to a point in their career where there's any success. That path is always one that takes quite some time and requires a lot of perseverance. So I love people with perseverance.
And I think if someone's going to ask me what I think is the most important quality in anyone, that's perseverance. So why not have a podcast focused on those types of people? Those are people who are constantly putting their heart out there. They're tapping into their soul and projecting out into the world and I believe they're doing it to make the world a better place. And I believe it does. Professionally, it's brutal. It's not for the faint of heart. You have to spend years learning and crafting your skills. You have to learn how to have a thick skin because you're constantly being told that your work isn't good enough, that you're not good enough and making any form of money is something that's not going to happen for quite some time. Then if you persevere and you make it, the whole world puts a microscope on your work and judges it every single time you do anything.
You're constantly having to fight for your position in the industry. And you're constantly having to innovate. And there's never a point it just gets easier. I think it gets harder, but the storytellers keep fighting. The most important thing that creatives do is share their experiences with the world. They share a unique point of view. They share stories that make the world a better place. We see stories and they make us realize we're not alone. They connect us. Storytellers share the human condition. They put a spotlight on things that need to be told and things that need to be shared. I truly believe we can make the world a better place by sharing stories and making people feel like they're not alone. I think oftentimes when you feel alone, it's because you don't see your story being shared in any format, whether it's in a book or an article, in a magazine or a movie or a TV show, or even if it's food.
And I think that when you start seeing yourself portrayed and your culture portrayed or yourself, whatever it may be, you start realizing that you're not alone in this world, that you're connected to something that's a little bit bigger than yourself. And then that way, you're not so alone and the world isn't so scary. So this podcast is simply about storytelling and storytellers. It's about those insane people that just want to share their stories. That go looking inward, take a look at their heart and soul, their most vulnerable self and just share that with everybody and hope it connects, hope that when it goes out there, other people are like, "I share that pain. I share that joy." whatever it may be, they connect with it. So this is a nice segue to introduce my first guest, Amir El-Masry.
Okay. So where do I begin? Amir made me completely stop in my tracks and rethink the entire first season of The Smith Society. And here's how that happened. I saw a film titled Limbo about three weeks ago, and I was so blown away by the film, everything. The subject matter, how important it was for the world, how unique it was visually. And at the center of that, was Amir. And I had to have a conversation with him and I wanted that conversation to be the very first episode of The Smith Society. So it blew up my entire schedule. I had to rearrange everything, including the pilot, including how all the pieces were going to fit together for the first four or five weeks, but I had to do it and it was completely worth it. Amir's performance was one of the most extraordinary things I've seen in years.
It was so subtle. It was so effortless. It was captivating and it was simply powerful. When I saw it, I just kept thinking I wanted to have a conversation with him, I just needed to and this goes back to my insatiable curiosity. I wanted to know what his journey was like. And then I also wanted to know how he pulled off such a brilliant performance. And so in the middle of his very busy press week of promoting this film, we found 30 minutes to have a conversation. And here it is. I hope you enjoy.
Duane Fernandez: So where are you right now?
Amir El-Masry: I'm in London.
Duane Fernandez: Okay. And how long have you been doing this today?
Amir El-Masry: Since 4:00 PM so last kind of hour and a half-ish. Yeah.
Duane Fernandez: So you're early. Okay, so good. I was thinking, all right, let's just pretend we're in Cairo. We're at a cafe. You're not doing 100 other interviews the rest of the day. We're just going to have a quick little 30-minute conversation about this incredible film.
Amir El-Masry: I'd love that. Maybe on the next project, we'll do that. Sure.
Duane Fernandez: Deal. I love it. Okay. So first of all, while doing some research, I discovered that your birthday is August 2nd.
Amir El-Masry: Yeah.
Duane Fernandez: Mine is August 1st so we're just like kindred spirits.
Amir El-Masry: Leos.
Duane Fernandez: So Leos.
Amir El-Masry: You knew.
Duane Fernandez: I love it. Okay. So raised in London. One of the first things I had to know was, do you support a club from London, a football club?
Amir El-Masry: That's a very good question because no, I don't. I support United, Manchester United.
Duane Fernandez: Okay.
Amir El-Masry: Yeah. I think part of that was because my dad supports this team called Al Ahly in Egypt. And their nickname was the red devils or is the red devils.
Duane Fernandez: Oh, so easy.
Amir El-Masry: Yeah. They all tie in into that. And also I just liked the color red when I was a kid so it was easy to use.
Duane Fernandez: Good. Well, I was curious, I wonder if you're a Liverpool, LFC fan now because of Mo Salah.
Amir El-Masry: Yeah. No, I definitely tune in whenever Mo Salah is playing, for sure.
Duane Fernandez: Extraordinary. Best football player in the world.
Amir El-Masry: Yeah.
Duane Fernandez: And that's coming from an Arsenal fan. I'm a north London fan.
Amir El-Masry: I was just about to ask you. Okay, you're an Arsenal fan. All right.
Duane Fernandez: It's been a rough few years, so we won't get into my side of it. So when did you want to become an actor? I know this is probably something you get asked quite a bit, but I was curious. With your background, when did you decide that I want to tell stories?
Amir El-Masry: Honestly, from as early as I can remember, since I was a little baby, I really wanted to tell stories. And I think the bug came when I was in a play called The Musicians of Bremen and I played a cat. And my mum actually made the costume. I looked like a hybrid between a cat and a cow because it was patchy black and white, but I had the little ears to match with the outfit so you could tell I was a cat. But it was beautiful feeling the stillness of the audience listening to you and just that energy reverberate in the room, it felt electric and it stayed with me. And I was relatively shy as a kid so it was definitely a nice outlet to put on a mask and be somebody else for a change.
Amir El-Masry: Yeah. And again, I grew up thinking I could play anything and that was inspired by the late great Omar Sharif, seeing him make it in Hollywood and be an icon back home in Egypt as well. And seeing him play different cultures and backgrounds and no one would bat an eyelid. I thought he would be playing Satan but clearly, he edges over looks and the intent maybe. But he definitely did inspire me from an early age.
Duane Fernandez: I love that. That's amazing. Even now, hearing you speak about it, you still have that commitment for every role that there's a little bit of an edge, that there's an excitement around acting and portraying and putting on a mask. Do you still feel that same way as when you were a kid now?
Amir El-Masry: 100%. I know a role is going to be going to be good for me if I'm petrified and then scared to tackle it. And I definitely felt that way with Limbo. Again, all the elements, the dialects, the music, being away from home for so long and also just where he's come from. And the way of the story, that responsibility as well, was quite frightening as well. So yeah, I do. I relish any opportunity to be somebody else and give a different side of myself as well.
Duane Fernandez: Yeah. It seems like it. I could tell through that film how much you're committed to it and doing research and seeing the stuff that you have been in and I've seen your work, it was interesting to see how much of a change it was to have this very, quite intense power with a lot of stirring emotions within you on screen. That had to be really intense showing up day in and day out and having that stillness. So when you first read the script, what did you think?
Amir El-Masry: Oh, man. I'd never seen anything like it that tackles the refugee crisis. First off, I've never laughed and cried at the same time from reading something. Also, more often than not, you have a western character that leads a refugee into a better living situation. But with this, Omar's in the forefront of the narrative, Ben Sharrock gives him agency and we're constantly reminded of how beautiful Syria was as a country. And we're introduced to its culture, its music, the food, the smells, everything. And the jokes, the inside jokes that come with the Arab culture as well. I think it's important to have that authenticity in any film. And I think as someone who was also foreign to that culture in some ways, to know that they can joke about their plight like myself, anything that happens along the way that we can laugh about it, definitely drew me in.
Duane Fernandez: That's amazing. After you put down the script, two days later, what scene kept coming back to you?
Amir El-Masry: Oh, man. Opening scene was just the hook, for sure. For myself, the phone booth scenes, for sure. And seeing his growth throughout those scenes and seeing him come into himself a little bit more. Myself and Ben, we had a lovely working relationship and we developed this nice language of carrying two buckets filled with water and making sure that water doesn't spill, because once it does, the audience had a relief. And so it was finding that right balance of trying not to break down too soon and those stuff, the one I read, the phone booth scenes and the music when his mom starts singing to him the bird song. Oh, man, I was in bits. I was in bits just from reading it. And to play it, I was as well, but Ben would always be like, "You need to hold yourself back a little bit."
Duane Fernandez: Yeah. Hearing you talking, I just get chills. Every time you say phone booth, I get chills immediately. Those scenes are so powerful. And they're really a challenge for you because it's not like you're getting to be in a scene, having that emotional connection with somebody opposite from you. Or even if they're off camera, there's somebody you're looking at, it's you on a phone. How did you approach perfect... It was effortless and exquisite, every single scene. I went back and watched every single of those phone booth scenes and then the scene at the very end. But how did you prepare for that? It's very challenging.
Amir El-Masry: Thank you very much. It was very challenging. And I think knowing how important that moment is, not only for Omar, but how important it is globally as well, universally that I do it being separated and isolated. I always just kept that to the back of my mind. But yeah, we had a lovely Scottish crew and one of the ADs would say the other lines in their own accents. But still, I think just having that feeling within myself and being away from my own family helped me get through the feeling of that scene and how much it meant to Omar.
Duane Fernandez: It was incredible. As you prepared for this film, in pre-production, what sort of research or what sort of conversations... Are you a method actor?
Amir El-Masry: No. I guess it depends on the role. If I was going to play a mass murderer, I'd probably stay away from being method.
Duane Fernandez: Fair enough.
Amir El-Masry: Because I played quite a gruesome character in Daniel, a film I did a couple of years ago. And a lot of that research, I actually brought on to this and another mini-series called The State as well. And I would sit with the researchers and people who have actually been to Syria and interacted with individuals on the ground. But also being privileged enough to meet a Syrian men's group and then sit with them and hear from them and them generously giving us their intimate stories as well was definitely helpful to understand what it feels like to be a man who's away from his loved ones and not knowing when they're going to be back or not knowing when they'll be able to bring their family over. That felt very real. Even just sitting with them and hearing their stories and how they handle it as well. They carry so much weight and emotion, and yet they laugh about everything.
Duane Fernandez: That's unbelievable. I can't imagine being in that position. And seeing your story, seeing this film and the way you portray this character and such, again, everything we just talked about, it made me think a lot about people. And I'm very empathetic. I thought specifically the day to day life because we don't see that. And to your point, I saw an interview you did where you said nobody wants to be taking up anyone else's space. They'd rather be home with their loved ones. I love that sentiment so much. And it made me think slightly different about the crisis and what people are going through. And so I can't imagine what it was like to sit in there and have those conversations. What was your biggest takeaway?
Amir El-Masry: Oh, man. There was a guy. He was incredible. He just made things happen. Everywhere he went, he made things happen. And I kept sitting there, looking at him and going, "Where do you find the strength?" And I can only think that when you're in that situation, fight and flight mode clicks and you either do that or that. And with him, he went from Syria to Lebanon. He went to Egypt. He's a doctor and he became a cobbler. And he had a little kiosk. And then all of a sudden, people in the street would knock his shop down. He had to start up again and then he found an opportunity to come to Scotland and then start over again.
Amir El-Masry: And sitting and looking at him, I remember he had bright green eyes and he was just smiling throughout the whole conversation. And he just made me think that life is so much simpler than we think it is. And the very fact that he can count his blessings, he's at peace with himself now, informed me a lot about where I put my energy and where I prioritize myself. And that's been useful also in the past couple of years as well.
Duane Fernandez: I can't imagine. It became research that became DNA and who you are now and moving forward. That's an incredible moment. That's very powerful. When you look back at the film, when you watch it now, what scene do you look back and think, "This was very hard to do." What was the hardest scene for you?
Amir El-Masry: The scene with my brother was very challenging. And also from a technical point of view, the music, the last scene as well. That's technical and that was emotional, I guess. Kais Nashef who plays my older brother is an incredibly generous and giving performer. And I remember sitting with him on the first day and he said, "I used to be you." And I said, "What do you mean?" "I always used to be the beta character and the one who wants to become the alpha. It's my first time being the bigger man or the bigger brother in this situation." But because he carried that energy in roles that he's taken, it was lovely because we had that warm tug of war at the beginning.
Amir El-Masry: But then there was a small connection that brought us together, again, through humor. And that was difficult. It was tricky because we only had one day together. And where you develop years and years of that connection and loss and anger and frustration when you haven't met the actor prior to it. And it's, again, a testament to where the casting as well, Dan Jackson, how he managed to realize, "Okay, these guys are going to fit together. The chemistry is going to work." without actually sitting us down together before that happens.
Duane Fernandez: Incredible. That's absolutely incredible because watching that scene, I can close my eyes and I immediately had this moment of... It was so warm, it was so emotionally intense to know that you had one day to shoot, that is crazy. That's wild. And to your point, there's not a single character in that film that feels out of place. The casting is absolutely extraordinary. It's just so perfect. I can't imagine that last scene. And then the musical scene, I can't imagine the technicality and this moment that your character has, that you have as an actor and a character with this wildly technical and emotional scene. I'm going to pronounce it off, is it oud?
Amir El-Masry: Oud. Yeah.
Duane Fernandez: Oud. Okay. So it's a little bit longer upfront. Do you play? Did you learn how to play?
Amir El-Masry: I learned in this process. I had two months to practice. To master the oud, it takes about seven years or to play such a thing like that. But I had two wonderful teachers. Actually [Khyam Allami 00:27:09] who composed the piece, he's a musician. And he would come around to mine a few times a week and we'd play and half of that would be me pulling my hair out and going, "This isn't going to work." But he gave me that calm and he gave me that reassurance constantly. And he dumbed it down for me, narrowed it down, he put it into sections so I can at least play the shell of the piece convincingly and then we could hone in on the specifics when we got there.
Duane Fernandez: That's incredible. Well done. That may be the most difficult part of the whole movie. After the movie, actually, my wife and I ordered one immediately. They're so beautiful. It's absolutely beautiful. What an incredible-
Amir El-Masry: Do you play music?
Duane Fernandez: No, my wife plays the music. She's plays the guitar and she loves all the stringed instruments. So she ordered one 12 hours ago.
Amir El-Masry: Amazing. Wow. That's so great to hear.
Duane Fernandez: I can't wait. So good on you for taking on that challenge and then to perfection executed on screen. It was such a beautiful moment. When people walk out of the theater after they see this, what do you want them to be thinking about for the next couple of days?
Amir El-Masry: I want them to feel that this could happen to anybody. And all the elements in this film are familiar. Loss of identity and trying to build that identity back up again in a new surrounding is something that we all go through when we get a new job or when we go to a different country or first day at school. I think that idea of you're not alone, we're all pretty much on the same boat. And yeah, I think blood can be thick in the water. I think for me, I've taken that home for sure. And patience as well, I learnt a lot of patience from doing this film as well. So I think that carried through the pandemic as well for me.
Duane Fernandez: Yeah. This movie hits so many cords, no pun intended. Through the last year, this hits so... It's what the world needs. This movie has to be seen globally. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens. It's just a story that everyone has to see. We're all human beings. And we have a simple phrase at our production company, which is, are you helping or are you hurting? And that's it, we're all human beings. Are you helping one another? It doesn't matter everything behind it, that's just simple. If you see somebody, a cobbler on the street, are you helping or hurting that person? And if I'm just ignoring their existence or I'm ignoring why they're here or I'm ignoring the fact that having a conversation, sharing a smile, talking to somebody can change someone's life because it helps with their identity, it makes them feel a little less alone in a very scary world. So yeah, it's just the perfect movie for this year. And I have a feeling it's going to do very, very well over the next 12 months.
Amir El-Masry: I'm going to carry that slogan with me as well, wherever I go.
Duane Fernandez: Good. I'm glad that I get to share that with you. I'm a bit of a foodie and one of my bucket list in the next five years is to visit Cairo. What are three places I have to eat when I go to Cairo?
Amir El-Masry: Come to my house and we'll feed you.
Duane Fernandez: I'll take you up on that.
Amir El-Masry: Yeah. First of all, are you a vegetarian? Do you eat meat or everything?
Duane Fernandez: I eat everything.
Amir El-Masry: Okay. First of all, for the vegans out there, koshari. It's a staple street food thing. It's very carby. Lentils, vermicelli, macaroni, rice, and then garlic tomato sauce sprinkled with garlic on the top, fried garlic. Doesn't sound like much, but honestly it tastes incredible. And chickpeas as well. Pigeon is also amazing. Mulukhiyah, it's a green, stewy, soupy dish, quite thick in texture. But man, just thinking about it makes me feel... I could go on. Mahshi as well, which is stuffed dolma, vine leaves. Gosh-
Duane Fernandez: Of all those things, when you're in London and you're about to head back to Cairo, what's the first of those ones that you have to have first?
Amir El-Masry: Mulukhiyah, for sure. That green stew, that soupy stew. Oh man, it's amazing.
Duane Fernandez: I cannot wait. And now I'm hungry, now I have to get all that. Can you get decent Egyptian food in London?
Amir El-Masry: Yeah. One or two but you know what, I like... Because nothing will compare to how my mom makes it. So if I do go out, I'll get the posh version of it, you know what I mean. But when you go home, you really feel the love that's put into it. For sure.
Duane Fernandez: I love that. This question here is, I would love for you to say this in Arabic. What are your words to live by? What is one of your favorite phrases is Arabic or words that you live by?
Amir El-Masry: Inshallah - which is a God-willing, but it means it's going to happen. Yeah. I guess that's the one that I use a lot. Actually, there's one in the film called [spelling] which is another term of... It's the opposite of Inshallah, it which means when pigs fly, basically.
Duane Fernandez: I love that conversation. That was great. I love the sentiment of that statement too. I love that there's both ends of the spectrum there. That's amazing. I've got two questions left for you because I know you're about to wrap up in six minutes. How do you think we make the world a better place?
Amir El-Masry: Oh man.
Duane Fernandez: Easy question. No big deal.
Amir El-Masry: Man, if we all knew the answer to that, it would a better place. I think just leading with love. Like you said, are you helping or are you hurting? If people are doing more to help than hurt, then we'll definitely make the world a better place for sure.
Duane Fernandez: I love that. And the final question, we're going back to food. What is your comfort food when you are having the worst day and you're home and you've got to make yourself something, what do you make yourself?
Amir El-Masry: Spaghetti bolognese. That's been something that I've been eating since I was a kid. I even used to go to Pizza Hut and not get a pizza, I'd get a spaghetti bolognese. Anything with pasta, anything with carbs, really, that would be my comfort food for sure.
Duane Fernandez: So if you make it yourself, what's the ingredient that you put into it that really puts it over the top?
Amir El-Masry: I've tried varying ways. I've added Worcester sauce to it sometimes. Do you guys have Worcester sauce?
Duane Fernandez: Yeah. Delicious, big fan.
Amir El-Masry: Extra garlic in it. Sometimes bit of red wine in it as well. So yeah, that would be it really. And also making sure that the meat is well-marinaded in advance. I make sure that bit, the tasty part of the dish is well-prepped beforehand.
Duane Fernandez: So is that just meat in a skillet, salt and pepper, or do you put a special herb-
Amir El-Masry: Yeah, you don't have to go too hard with it. You should just... Salt, pepper, garlic, onions.
Duane Fernandez: Amazing. Since I have four minutes, I'm going to ask you one last question. If you can go back and tell your 14-year-old self something, what would you tell yourself?
Amir El-Masry: My 14-year-old self?
Duane Fernandez: Mm-hmm.
Amir El-Masry: Stop caring about what other people think.
Duane Fernandez: That simple?
Amir El-Masry: Yeah. For sure.
Duane Fernandez: Amir, thank you so much for your time. What an extraordinary film. The moment I saw the trailer, I was like, "I have to have a conversation. I have to learn more about this from this man." So thank you for sharing your talents with the world in such an extraordinary way.
Amir El-Masry: That's very kind of you, Duane. Thank you so much. It was really, really lovely talking to you as well.
Duane Fernandez: All right.
Amir El-Masry: Your seat on the table in Egypt is there when you're ready.
Duane Fernandez: I can't wait. I'm going to follow up. Amir, thank you so much. Have a wonderful day. Good luck with everything else.
Amir El-Masry: Take care.
Duane Fernandez: Cheers. Bye.
Duane Fernandez: Thank you for taking the time to listen to our first episode. It means a lot. And if you enjoyed it, please take a moment to subscribe, share it with somebody, leave a comment, all those things help share their story, these journeys. And if you have any questions or if you want to recommend a future guest, if you have any thoughts about the episode, anything, feel free to hit me up at me@duanefernandez.com or for shorter questions or thoughts or if you want to share something, you can at me on Instagram at duane_Fernandez, D-U-A-N-E underscore Fernandez with an F. Thank you for your time. And I truly appreciate you being here with us.
Limbo: Omar is a promising young musician. Separated from his Syrian family, he is stuck on a remote Scottish island awaiting the fate of his asylum request.
Limbo: www.focusfeatures.com/limbo
Host: Duane Fernandez
Email and ask a question or share a thought: me@duanefernandez.com
The Smith Society theme song by: Steady Cadence
Steady Cadence is a brilliant father daughter duo out of North Carolina. There is an episode later this season about the theme song, their unique sound which blends together analog and digital, their inspiration, creative approach and how Cadence, who is currently in middle school, has so much soul.
The Smith Society logo: Designer, Chris Scott
Edited by: Marshall Baker
Follow your dreams, no matter where they take you.
