LONG WAY FROM HOME, 45min., Egypt, Documentary
Directed by Mostafa El Soly
After being subjected to a physical disability that almost killed her, the stray dog, Layaly, was moved to a shelter to recover physically and psychologically. Soly the filmmaker decided to follow her story from day one till the end . Doctors diagnose her neck injury as permanent and incurable. They expected she would die within a short time if she did not respond to physical and psychological treatment. The dog's condition worsens in her new shelter and her days in life seem numbered.

Director Statement
The beginning of the project was in December 2017, when I woke up to the sound of a dog barking next to my house. I opened the window to find a stray dog tied to a concrete pillar in an abandoned building. What bothered me was his repeated barking. Hours later, I heard his barking again, and when I looked and found that he was still tied to the column, it seemed exhausted and hungry. I contacted a friend of mine who was interested in stray animals. I asked him what I could do for that poor dog and he recommended a group of volunteers to rescue stray dogs whom has a popular Facebook page. I wrote a post on the group and was surprised by the great interaction of the page’s fan. I received phone calls, messages and support from a large number of individuals who were willing to cooperate. The scale of the reaction was surprising, and it raised many questions, about those who are interested in the animal in Egypt.

One the same day, a team of young volunteers came to rescue the stray dog. They had bravely broken into that abandoned building, untied the dog and fed him. They then took him in their car to an animal shelter where she was named as Layaly.
I kept in touch with the team and became an active follower of the group on Facebook. Dozens of posts were written about street dogs or cats in need of help. It didn’t take long for these animals to find their savior. Helping these animals was not just about food but also health care as well. In some cases, some volunteer to help an animal travel abroad and receive better treatment or to find a foreign family that is interested in adopting that stray animal.