Highlighting its joys and tribulations, these films boldly paint an honest portrait of Egypt’s beloved metropolis.
In Welsh, the world ‘hiraeth’ denotes an intense and unyielding feeling of nostalgia towards a home, place, or era that no longer exists, and can no longer be returned to for one reason or another, and while the word has no direct translation in English, perhaps a very similar word in Arabic is ‘haneen.’ And that, ‘haneen’, is perhaps one of the very few universal feelings that all Cairenes experience daily.
Fast-paced and transient, life in Cairo feels perpetually fleeting, and often-times we find ourselves reminiscing about a Cairo whose frame has long played to make path to newer settings. Immortalizing life in Cairo, these films highlight its streets, stories, peoples, and places - the good, the bad, and the beautifully mundane. Following a variety of Cairenes navigating different compelling plots, the movies listed below share one common denominator: an exploration of Cairo, its streets, and its proverbial underbelly.
Cairo As Told By Youssef Chahine | 1991
Considered by many to be Chahine’s magnum opus, ‘Cairo as Told by Youssef Chahine’, or ‘El Kahera Menawara B Ahlaha’, is both a raw and honest depiction of Cairo, and a self-portrait of an artist, Youssef Chahine himself. What makes the movie quite the masterpiece that it is, is that in less than 25 minutes, Chahine is able to navigate Cairo politically, socially, culturally, and economically, effectively preserving that era in Egypt’s modern history on film.
Al Basha | 1992
Directed by Tarek Al Arian and starring late Egyptian actor Ahmed Zaki, ‘Al Basha’ follows a police officer untangling an underground sexual escort network run by one of Egypt’s most prominent (fictional) businessmen. Given the nature of the plot, the movie explores Cairo’s underbelly, showcasing characters, streets, scenes and settings not commonly encountered in popular media.
Darbet Shams | 1978
When an unsuspecting Egyptian photojournalist - played by late Egyptian actor Nour Al Sherif - takes the wrong photo at the wrong time, his life is practically turned upside down. After becoming entangled with the wrong people, the movie’s titular protagonist, Shams, navigates a Cairo he has hitherto been unacquainted with.
The Yacoubian Building | 2007
Based on the novel of the same title by Alaa El Aswany, ‘The Yacoubian Building’ is perhaps one of the most polarising movies in recent Egyptian cinematic history. The film owes its controversy to its unabashedly honest and at-times vulgar exploration of Egypt’s varying social classes, and does so with a star-studded cast featuring heavy hitters such as Adel Emam, Youssra, Nour El Sherif, and Hendy Sabry to name a few. Reported to be the highest-budgeted movie made in Egypt, ‘The Yacoubian Building’ explores facets of Cairo’s society and streets that very few movies have ever dared to cover.
Fe Sha’et Masr El Gedida | 2007
Perhaps the lightest watch on this list, ‘Fe Sha’et Masr El Gedida’ starring Ghada Adel and Khaled Aboulnaga is a comfort movie if we’ve ever seen one. Wholesome, slow-paced, and accompanied by a stunning musical score, the movie follows our protagonist Nagwa as she travels to Cairo from her hometown in Minya in search of her old music teacher, whom she seeks life-changing advice from. While there’s much more to the movie than just that, we’ll leave the rest for you to discover. In case you needed more convincing, ‘Fe Sha’et Masr El Gedida’ feels like a Friday morning walk in a wintery Korba.
In The Last Days of The City | 2016
Starring The Crown’s Khalid Abdallah, ‘In The Last Days of The City’ explores a pre-2011 Cairo, following an aspiring filmmaker - played by Abdallah - as he traverses the city in an attempt to document it. The movie explores themes of love, loss and nostalgia for a Cairo lost to time. Initially released in Germany in 2016, the movie has managed to snag over 10 different International accolades.
Ward Masmoum | 2018
Directed by Fawzy Saleh, Ward Masmoum follows an impoverished Egyptian family living in the tanners’ district as they struggle to make ends meet. The movie follows young Taheya – played by Marihan Magdy – as she cares for her mother and brother, whom she seems to have a peculiar relationship with. Taheya goes out of her way to care for her brother, travelling miles to deliver food to him at work, buy him gifts when they can barely afford anything, and showering him with so much love that it becomes unbearable (hence the name of the film, which means ‘Poisonous Roses’ in Arabic). Given the plot occurring in the impoverished Daher district, the movie highlights a brutal side to Cairo and the lives of those who call it home.
Cactus Flower | 2017
The sisterhood of the travelling bougie homeless women? Well, sort of. Aida, an aspiring actress with rural roots, finds herself practically homeless alongside her withdrawn bourgeois neighbour, Samiha. With no money nor permanent place to stay, the duo venture out into the streets of Cairo, seeking out old friends, family, and connections with whom they can stay. Through a series of unfortunate - and sometimes quite ridiculous - events, the movie touches upon many facets of Cairene society.
Leil Khargy | 2018
In a spontaneous clash of cultures, ‘Leil Khargy’ follows three characters from three entirely different backgrounds as they band together for one wild night out in Cairo’s more well-hidden areas. The film highlights the difference between Egypt’s social classes, but perhaps more importantly subtly highlights their commonalities.
