Huda Sultan exercised her charm within the confines of the “local townswoman” character. This role is always burdened with nuanced complications, especially since local customs and traditions are unforgiving of women who choose to break taboos and stray from social norms. And it is often through these women that the hypocrisy and the contradictions of society are exposed.
Keep reading →
The best friend is typically a secondary character that does not have an arc throughout the story, he simply emphasizes the ideal values of friendship to create a contrast with an otherwise collapsing moral system. He is able to rise above woes and sorrows, including the torments of love. He’s the one to let the light in, when the protagonist finds himself in a dark tunnel.
Keep reading →
“A young, beautiful girl sets her eyes on a handsome young man. Some challenge stands in the way of their union. The film concludes with a resolution of the problem that has prevented their happiness, and an important lesson is taught to the young couple, particularly to the girl.”
Keep reading →
Many Egyptian films have tackled the issues of identity, integration and marginalization in light of migration from the village to the city. The closing scenes of two films, The Caller (1975) and Missing Person (1984), express two contrasting narratives that highlight and reinforce the rural-urban social divide in the Egyptian context.
Keep reading →
