Acclaimed Egyptian Film 'The Stories' Comes to Arab Cinemas in June

bu Bakr Shawky's 2025 film 'The Stories' will be coming to cinemas for the first time this summer, dropping on June 17th in Egypt and June 18th across the Arab world.

Starring Amir El-Masry, Valerie Pachner, Nelly Karim, Ahmed Kamal, and Khaled Mokhtar, 'The Stories' made a powerful impression on the international festival circuit, claiming the prestigious Golden Tanit for Best Film at the Carthage Film Festival, and earning screenings at both the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and the Red Sea International Film Festival.

The film draws from the director's own family history — specifically, how his Egyptian father and Austrian mother became pen pals in the 1970s and gradually fell in love. Told across five fragmented chapters, the narrative follows Ahmed, an aspiring pianist, and Elizabeth, a young woman from Vienna enchanted by Egyptian culture.

Throughout, Shawky weaves together real archival material — political speeches, football matches, radio broadcasts, and film clips — with dramatic scenes and a carefully curated musical score. Set against the backdrop of Nasser-era Cairo, a letter from a European stranger becomes the catalyst for an unlikely romance.

As Ahmed chases his musical dreams in Vienna, and Elizabeth refuses to let him abandon them, the couple faces wars, personal setbacks, and the rise and fall of four Egyptian presidents before his first concert finally arrives.