Director Ben Sharrock. Courtesy of Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Ben Sharrock is calling from the desert. The view behind him on Zoom is nothing short of stunning: an expansive valley, flanked by sandy-colored mountains stacked against vivid blue skies. A tall tree, its leaves the only splash of green in view, casts the Scottish writer-director in some much-needed shade. "Where I am at the moment is very close to the Dead Sea," he tells The Hollywood Reporter. "We've spent a few days here, and now we're heading to the south of Jordan." The filmmaker is in Amman, the capital of Jordan, locating scouting for his AFM-bound Alone Together. The plan is to start shooting in March and April next year, but buzz is already swirling around Sharrock's existential romantic dramedy after the critical acclaim of his 2020 sophomore feature Limbo. Related Stories TV 'Death Stranding' Animated Series From Hideo Kojima Set at Disney+ Movies Duke Nicholson on Carving His Own Path and Lessons From Grandpa Jack The Amir El-Masry-starring Limbo, about four asylum seekers staying on a remote island in Scotland and taking cultural awareness classes while awaiting their refugee claims, was set to screen in Cannes before the pandemic brought the world to a halt. Still, Sharrock's voice resonated: he won San Sebastian's Youth Jury Prize, as well as the Grand Prix at the Brussels International Film Festival, and BAFTA nominations in the outstanding debut and outstanding British film categories, among other honors. At 2021's BAFTA Scotland Awards, he took home best director, best writer and best feature film for Limbo. Sharrock and El-Masry re-team for Alone Together, with in-demand talents Callum Turner and Adria Arjona set to lead as two lost souls whose lives collide through a rare rainstorm in a fictional metropolis. "It's kind of a slice of life, moment in time film," says Sharrock, "but it speaks to quite big themes as well around love, the loss of love and the grief that comes from [that]." Turner plays Sam, a British filmmaker facing a life crisis as he visits the Arabian desert for a job. His career is stalling, he's on the brink of a divorce, and he's feeling guilty about being an absent father to his young son. During a freak rainstorm, he has a fleeting and powerful connection with the captivating Inma (Arjona), and these two strangers in a strange land are consumed by mutual attraction. "But this isn't a love story," reads a plot synopsis. "These are adults with baggage, unable to walk away from their pasts." The script practically spilled out of Sharrock, who says his Lost in Translation-esque movie is offering up some overdue representation for the mid-to-late 30s crowd. "Often we see films that are maybe [about] younger people in their early 20s, and they're trying to figure out what path they're going to take and get a job after university, you know? But more and more, the world has changed," he continues. "So this, in a way, explores that belated - I wouldn't want to say coming-of-age - but I would say a belated re-evaluation of oneself not too far down the line." Below, Sharrock unpacks Alone Together, headed to AFM with HanWay Films launching international sales. He discusses the highs and rather sweaty lows of location scouting in the Middle East, why awards success off the back of Limbo has pushed him to stick with his distinct style of filmmaking, and the magic he believes Turner, Arjona and El-Masry have seen in his script: "It explores what it means to be human, but it does that in a way that is quite different and quite specific. I think that's what drew them to this project." Ben, you're calling from Amman in Jordan - can you tell me about the location scouting that you've been doing? It's going really well. It's intense. It's long days, location scouting from early morning into the night. We're making this film in Oman as well, so we did a location scout in Oman a few months back, and it was so hot. This time, at least the weather is much cooler. In Oman, it was like 38 degrees at night, so [we were] just dripping in sweat the whole time. [Laughs.] Here, we've just spent a few days in the city and now we're heading to the south of Jordan. Where I am at the moment is very close to the Dead Sea. I don't know if you can see behind me, but it's within a very tight valley, in between mountains. It's absolutely stunning. Amazing locations. And we're working with a team out here who are brilliant. To add some context, Alone Together is set in the desert, right? The film is set between a desert environment - actually the north of Oman, which is this very unique area that has desert fjords and very rocky, precipitous mountains - and a fictional Middle Eastern metropolis. [It's] this fictional, busy, diverse