The Lady from Cairo

Drama · 1992

In 1990, Moumen Smihi briefly re-located to Cairo in order to work in the shadow of one of the world’s largest commercial film industries. The film that resulted from his Cairo sojuourn is a complex, painterly critique of the Egyptian musical and cinema star system. At the same time, the film shows the divergent states of possibility or despair faced by men and women within a changing Egyptian society. Smihi’s film plays out over thirty years and the events of the Nasserite years and the Palestine / Israel conflict become integral to the narrative. By blending newsreel footage with his own lush cinematography, Smihi creates a complex portrait of contemporary Egyptian society in the post-war years.

Starring

Tarek El Tilmisany, Tarek El Tilmisany, Ezzat Al Alaily, Bachir El Dik, Moumen Smihi, Layla Olwy, Moumen Smihi, Sanaa Gamil, Yousra, Moumen Smihi

Director

Moumen Smihi

Producer

Moumen Smihi