Front Row Productions Acquires Rights To Life Of Notorious Lebanese Bank Robber Sally Hafez

deadline.com:

Dubai-based Front Row Productions has acquired the rights to the life story of Sally Hafez, the Lebanese woman who stormed a bank to access her savings in September 2022 during Lebanon’s financial crisis, in which citizens were illegally restricted from drawing from their accounts due to an unofficial capital control imposed by Lebanese banks.

Hafez became an instant media figure following the raid, which she later explained had been conducted to access cash from her accounts to fund her sister’s cancer treatment.

Front Row has said it plans to explore different aspects of her story by creating a variety of media content through feature films, TV series, docu-series, and a podcast series by looking at the various angles of what they described as “Hafez’s unique but relatable journey from a patriotic activist to a disenfranchised citizen taking it upon herself to be divisive.” Armed with her nephew’s toy gun and a mixture of water and fuel, Hafez succeeded in reclaiming $13,000 and 30,000,000 Lebanese Pounds from Blom Bank in Beirut, obtaining a receipt to avoid theft charges.

Although she faced a minor fine from a local judge, she was subsequently released by police. Hafez’s raid sparked a ripple effect, with others deciding also to take action and recover their funds.