1979 | Egypt | Fiction

Shafika and Metwali

  • Arabic - 178 mins
  • Director | Ali Badrakhan
  • Writer | Salah Jaheen
  • Producer | Jean Khoury

STATUS: Released

This film is currently not available.   

Chosen by festival Honoree guest Mona Zaki, who is fascinated by the iconic Egyptian actress Souad Hosni. Drawing on a folk tale about a young man who murders his wayward sister, Ali Badrakhan gave the traditional story a new timeframe and socio-political twist, creating a work of art in the process. Metwally is a villager forced by the authorities to work as a labourer on the Suez Canal project, leaving his sister Shafiqi (Souad Hosni) alone and destitute. When he eventually returns, he discovers that his sister has succumbed to the attentions of the district chief’s son, dishonoring the family, and kills her. The original story saw him as justified, but Badrakhan gives it another twist to show both brother and sister as victims of an oppressive social system. The film was an immediate success; it remains a beloved classic.

Egyptian Cinema Folk Tale Socio-Political Twist Ali Badrakhan Traditional Story Suez Canal Family Honor Tragedy Victims Classic Film
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