The latest spy thriller to hit Egyptian cinema is
“Welad El-Am.” Shot in Egypt, Syria and South Africa, the drama action
movie is about a Muslim Egyptian mother of two who suddenly learns her husband
is a Jewish Israeli Mossad agent. Daniel (Sherif Mounir) gives Salwa
(Mona Zaki) two options – to stay or leave to Egypt without the children.
The action begins when a Muslim Egyptian
intelligence officer vows to save Salwa and her children from Daniel.
Officer Mostapha (Kareem Abdelaziz) could be seen as an Egyptian Jack Bauer –
instead of fighting off America’s “terrorists” – he’s seen saving Salwa from
what he calls Egypt’s most-wanted. Israelis are seen as the villains in
this movie – a different perspective from this part of the world as compared to
the current popular Western depiction of Arabs/Muslims as villains.
Director Sherif Arafa’s latest film succeeds not
only in showing the complex relationship between Israel and Egypt (here, as
defined by Daniel and Mostapha), which can be seen as Abraham’s sons Ismael and
Isaac as symbolically referenced in the title, but shows the world the emerging
acting and directing talent of Egyptian cinema from that of other international
films.
Actors Sherif Mounir and Kareem Abdelaziz attended
the first showing at Loews in Jersey City on Sunday afternoon, the day Egypt
won the African cup. Right before the packed house entered the theatre,
they took photos with their favorite Egyptian actors as cars honked, Egyptian
flags flew out of car windows, and men played the tabla on the sidewalk, and
fans picked up Abdelaziz on their shoulders cheering for Egypt – the same
patriotic nationalistic rejoicing that continued even after the film was done.
Here's the YouTube trailer:
Have you seen the film? Feel
free to comment below with your thoughts.
Sounds like a good movie, area there English sub-titles?
Where are all the Arabisto Bloggers that complain about how Arabs are stereotyped on American TV and movies? Why aren’t they complaining about how Jews/Israeli’s are stereotyped on Arab TV and movies?
In some point, there’s no evolution on story lines, but then I find the movie trilling. It surely worth of payday loans to see. Hopefully, there more movies will show more factual concepts than fictional so that viewers can easily associate it will reality. The casts of the stories as well as the people who work behind the camera have truly made a good job here. Congratulations for the success of this movie.
Does this movie represent a "different perspective"? Probably not to the people who were so thrilled by it. The idea that Israel is the bad guy in any situation, real or fictional is pretty much the normative view in the Arab American community. The "willing suspension of disbelief if particularly willing here.
There was real incident that bears enough semblances to the plot of the Egyptian movie (unsuspecting mom, nefarious, cold-blooded spies) though, to jog my memory. In 1986 Jordanian Nezar Hindawi was convicted of planting a bomb in his pregnant Irish girlfriend's airplane luggage on the orders of Syrian Intelligence. A little extra background - an interview with Mr. Hindawi's would-be disposable offspring would be interesting - and bingo, another script ready-made for the Arab World's Big Screen. Unfortunately documentaries don't usually attract the big audiences. Easier to make stuff up.
I absolutely loved the movie! Every aspect of it! And though we're grateful to AMC for having shown an Egyptian movie that goes against the current general sentiment, I would have rather have its release extended over a longer period, at least another week, so as to give more viewers the chance to enjoy it. I for one would have definitely gone to watch it again if I had the chance. Well done Karim, Mona, Sherif Mounir and Sherif Arafa.
Thanks Rima for the great article, and let me stress out that the joy for the movie stretched to the heart of New York, Times Square in the AMC 25 theater, where 90 % of the seats were full and people enjoyed the smashing hit movie until the last day it played in New York on 4 February 2010. The story, action, and actors are all completing each other, and the outcome is a marvelous masterpiece which needs to be witnessed and watched by everyone.I hope this would be the beginning of a new era in the US and that the Egyptian Cinema will flourish and continue to beautify the streets in times square.the incredibly handsome Karim Abd El Aziz and the charming Sherif mounir along with the natural beauty Mona zaki makes this movie a two thumps up.Kudos guys for the good work, love ya,
