Missing the Cairene vibe in media? Missing the Cairene vibe in all aspects of life in general? You’re not the only one.
This is real Cairo. This variance, multiplicity, and fluctuation of people, shops, qahawy, and very old cafes like Riche and L’Ammericane, all in harmony represent what Egypt really is. Even when you move to a well-segregated compound, your mind shall still stuck to this Cairene state, longing for it before the segregation stage that started since the 80s and 90s.
As a result, you’ll see yourself and everyone craving and missing this state of mind without knowing why. What is that allure that pulls us to watch the old movies at Zawya rather than watching the ones in premier? What makes us crave this creativity in old Egyptian ads? It is simply because we miss the real Egypt, not “Egypt”!
Segregation definitely influences media industry as we see in new movies and advertisements that don’t focus on the Cairene streets anymore and show the characters always in the same “old -not really” compounds. This spectacular and unique Cairene state was highly celebrated in the 2000s movies, which is considered by many the golden era of Egyptian cinema and media, but why is it considered as so?
The answer is the true and profound aesthetics behind this complex philosophical and poetical atmosphere in the early and mid 2000s movies, video clips, and advertisements that depicted this Cairene state in the eyes and the movement of the actors. The sweetness and bitterness of the city were always a constant theme. This is vigorously obvious in many multimedia examples of this time, such as…:
Dunia (2005)
“Dancing and poetry in the Cairene state of mind”
The movie is starred by Hanan Turk and Mohamed Mounir, and directed by Jocelyne Saab. The movie depicts Cairo through Dunia’s dancing and movement in Cairo streets and Mounir’s songs that once you listen to, you remember Egypt. This is all focused and noted through Karim Shaaban’s vision of how the camera follows Dunia in Cairo streets.
In the Last Days of the City (2016)
In this movie, Cairo is the protagonist. Khaled, the young director is trying to make a movie about Cairo in 2009. Through his lens, he captures his survival trials in Cairo; he tries to capture the soul of the city to compensate his own loss in life, taming its troubling and dazzling nature while everybody persuades him to leave, but he chooses to battle for his love for the city. Khaled, we understand…
What is amazing about the shots of Cairo in this movie is how they bring to the screen the contradicted and troubled relationship between the city and its millions of lovers. They portray the city as that one lover that you cannot leave or forget. The movie is starred by Khaled Abdullah, Laila Samy, and Hanan Youssef, and directed by Tamer El Said.
Efta7 Albak w E3rafny -Mobinile (Orange) Ad (2014)
And who isn’t in love with Mobinile (Orange) ads in this period! The adorable aspect of their ads and this ad specifically is that the people of Cairo and the streets are the protagonists. In this ad, the remarkable director, Marwan Hamed takes a long shot of 5:31 minutes in Cairo streets, walking between people and markets, capturing people laughing and helping each other. Another work of art depicting the true nature of Egypt!
Dayman m3 b3d -Mobinile (Orange) ad (2012)
It is another thing to see how the media industry saved this togetherness state at this time. The campaign has covered this state all over Egypt, including Cairo at the beginning as the heart of the Egyptian soul. It shows this state in weddings, stadiums, and the basic Cairene street. This ad introduced us to new faces and a type of art that was -back then- fresh, featuring artists such as Oka and Ortiga, introducing the Egyptian “Mahrgan”, and Osama El Hady as part of the new wave of Underground music.
In the Heliopolis Flat (2007)
Nagwa, a music teacher from Minya comes to Cairo, searching for chances, love, and her teacher, Amany. In deep analysis of this movie, Amany, the lost teacher of love, reminds us of Shams Al-Tabrizi for Jalal Al-din Al-Rumi; love and mysticism has been always attributed to Cairo. Nagwa is a like an adventurer in a journey of searching for love and this journey is in the heart of Heliopolis, one of the oldest districts in Cairo. Through her eyes, you can see how the relationship between Cairo and non-Cairene Egyptians is a form of “enemies to lovers” trope!
As we yearn for this Cairene state to be back, we can only help but wonder…Would we miss the 20s of the 21st century in 20 years from now?