A clash between people representing very different social strata electrifies the drama “19B,” the sixth feature from Egyptian helmer-writer Ahmad Abdalla, a progenitor of the new wave of independent Arab cinema in the early 2000s. Like his other films, “19B” deals with the changes taking place in contemporary Egypt and his characters’ struggle to find their place. The film claimed awards for best Arab film, cinematography and the international critics’ prize at the recent Cairo fest.
The story unfolds in an affluent Cairo neighborhood once filled with big homes and shady gardens, where an abandoned villa becomes derelict even as the building’s elderly caretaker clings to his makeshift life there. At the same time, on the street, the impoverished children of the new Egypt attempt to make their living in not altogether legal ways.
Like the building he believes he is guarding, the nameless old man has seen better days.
The story unfolds in an affluent Cairo neighborhood once filled with big homes and shady gardens, where an abandoned villa becomes derelict even as the building’s elderly caretaker clings to his makeshift life there. At the same time, on the street, the impoverished children of the new Egypt attempt to make their living in not altogether legal ways.
Like the building he believes he is guarding, the nameless old man has seen better days.
- 11/30/2022
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Egyptian helmer-writer Ahmad Abdalla, known for being part of the new wave of independent cinema in the Arab world with his early films “Heliopolis” (2009) and “Microphone” (2010), returns to the Cairo Film Festival with the world premiere of his sixth feature, “19B.” It marks the sole film from the host country in the International Competition lineup.
The multi-layered narrative centers on the elderly caretaker of an abandoned Cairo villa known as 19B. The owners have been absent for so long that no one even knows how to contact them, and the building is falling apart. Nevertheless, the caretaker is happy with his jerry-rigged life there, sharing the space with abandoned dogs and cats, and drinking tea with the doorman of a high-rise down the block. But things change when the old man is bullied and threatened by the aggressive ex-con Nasr, the leader of a street gang.
Talking to Variety from...
The multi-layered narrative centers on the elderly caretaker of an abandoned Cairo villa known as 19B. The owners have been absent for so long that no one even knows how to contact them, and the building is falling apart. Nevertheless, the caretaker is happy with his jerry-rigged life there, sharing the space with abandoned dogs and cats, and drinking tea with the doorman of a high-rise down the block. But things change when the old man is bullied and threatened by the aggressive ex-con Nasr, the leader of a street gang.
Talking to Variety from...
- 11/11/2022
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
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