Due to the great success, we're screening Cairo Exit a second time!

Hesham Issawi – Egypt – 2011

Tarek, a young man, is desperate to leave Egypt and find work abroad. The reasons to leave are not only economic. He is also in love with Amal and wants to move with her to live their own lives, instead of caring for others or thinking of the next police raid. The film depicts modern-day Cairo as a grey and dusty place, exposing the stark differences in an unjust city. It crosses all kinds of boundaries; social, class, physical and spatial boundaries, moving from deprived neighborhoods to the flashy green lawns of the rich, from dusty Cairo to sparkling blue and white postcard beaches in Italy. Most important is the film’s ability to cross our own space, exposing recognizable emotions and hopes. To get there we need to scratch off that thick dusty layer that society imposes on the most essential of human needs, love.

Though ‘Cairo Exit’ was made in 2011, it has never been screened in Egypt before. We’re happy to invite director Heshan Issawi for an artist talk after the screening.

With: Marihan Magdy, Mohamed Ramadan

Duration: 97 minutes

Language: Arabic (English subtitles)