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Birds of the Nile by Magdi Ahmed Ali (Egypt 2010, 120', Arabic with English Subtitles)

The latest film from veteran filmmaker Magdi Ahmed Ali (Fawzeya's Secret Recipe, A Girl's Secret, Life...My Passion). Based on Ibrahim Aslan's novel by the same name, Birds of the Nile is an artful look into the lives of a rural family that moves to Cairo and struggles to make a name for themselves. Over decades, the city turns hopelessly naive Abdel Rahim (Fathi Abdel Wahab) into one of its many victims as he suffers a broken heart and eagerly searches for a suitable replacement for his beloved Bassima. Meanwhile, his sister and her family struggle to stay afloat as they slowly retreat to the outskirts of society.

Magdi Ahmed Ali's latest work is a fascinating and at times provocative look into urban life and the political and social issues of Egyptian society. Birds of the Nile belongs to a series of films by Ali which tell the stories of lower and middle class Egyptians struggling to seize moments of happiness despite the hardship they go through. It is a challenging artistic experience for viewers who enjoy films based on literary works. Its different rhythms and segmentations require an intellectual engagement and alertness on behalf of the viewers that highlight the talent and sophistication of the filmmaker.

Last updated: 2010-11-27 03:59:38