Yesterday I watched an Egyptian movie for the promising Egyptian director Ibrahim El Batout. The film took us slowly, yet deeply, into the lives and experiences of a poor family in a popular area in Cairo, Egypt. There have been numerous films, Egyptian and other, that delved into the lives of simple people and their basic needs and endless sufferings. Yet, there are a number of elements that made "Ain Shams" (a.k.a. The Eye of the Sun) unique, for me at least. Some points grabbed my attention, namely:
To begin with, I liked the fact that the narrator/the director spoke not from a neutral position, although I wouldn't have appreciated this aspect in other movies, however in this one, it was needed. The narrator not only narrated incidents, he also explained them with his own voice and vision.
I liked how the film went around in one circle from beginning to end, beginning with a sad song about a girl who just died, and ending with the same song (after the reasons for her death are explained).
Something important too in the sequence of the film was a clear communication issue between some of the characters of the film, especially representing different classes and ideals; how the characters almost all stuttered sometimes (with lots of mmms and hmmms)- as if improvising in real life situations or not knowing how to best say what is on their minds; the smooth transitions between the different scenes (and from Iraq to Egypt); as well as seeing the poor from the eyes of the rich and vice versa.
I also appreciated Shams' simple, naive dream of visiting downtown, which is an act that we do on a daily basis if we please, yet for this eleven-year-old child, it was her utmost hope and dream.
The film was overall empathetic with the poor, at a time filled with political hypocrisy and utter lack of freedom. The language is simple and genuine. The vision is clear.
There are clearly a number of shortcomings, like any film, such as the very slow pace of the film, and the fact that some actors needed to work a little bit on their acting skills.
Hats off for a fine artist like Al-Batout, who brought new meanings to old stories.. For more on the director: http://ibrahimelbatout.com/
For more on the film: http://einshams.blogspot.com/
To begin with, I liked the fact that the narrator/the director spoke not from a neutral position, although I wouldn't have appreciated this aspect in other movies, however in this one, it was needed. The narrator not only narrated incidents, he also explained them with his own voice and vision.
I liked how the film went around in one circle from beginning to end, beginning with a sad song about a girl who just died, and ending with the same song (after the reasons for her death are explained).
Something important too in the sequence of the film was a clear communication issue between some of the characters of the film, especially representing different classes and ideals; how the characters almost all stuttered sometimes (with lots of mmms and hmmms)- as if improvising in real life situations or not knowing how to best say what is on their minds; the smooth transitions between the different scenes (and from Iraq to Egypt); as well as seeing the poor from the eyes of the rich and vice versa.
I also appreciated Shams' simple, naive dream of visiting downtown, which is an act that we do on a daily basis if we please, yet for this eleven-year-old child, it was her utmost hope and dream.
The film was overall empathetic with the poor, at a time filled with political hypocrisy and utter lack of freedom. The language is simple and genuine. The vision is clear.
There are clearly a number of shortcomings, like any film, such as the very slow pace of the film, and the fact that some actors needed to work a little bit on their acting skills.
Hats off for a fine artist like Al-Batout, who brought new meanings to old stories.. For more on the director: http://ibrahimelbatout.com/
For more on the film: http://einshams.blogspot.com/
