Hesham Issawi
2021
El Khoroug
Hesham Issawi
Mohamed Ramadan, Maryhan
A powerful account of life in contemporary Cairo, this raw drama about a pair of star-crossed lovers shines a powerful spotlight upon the social and cultural taboos that riddle the city's diverse population. Heralding a bold new shift for contemporary Egyptian cinema, 'Cairo Exit' is a gritty and uncompromising work from a major new cinematic talent, Hesham Issawi.
Cairo Exit
AmericanEast
Hesham Issawi
Sayed Badreya, Tony Shalhoub
Summer in L.A., it's hot. Homeland Security has set the threat level at red; they're searching for several Arabs alleged to be terrorists. Mustafa, an Egyptian immigrant who runs a falafel shop, comes to the FBI's attention; they investigate him. He has other problems: his young teen son no longer wants to be a Muslim; his sister, a nurse, objects to Mustafa arranging her marriage to a cousin from Egypt. She has a non-Arab suitor of her own. Omar, an employee of Mustafa, is a struggling actor who doesn't want to play only terrorists. Mustafa hopes to open a real restaurant and has a potential partner in Sam, a Jew, whose family objects. What is the price of the American dream?
AmericanEast
الثمن
Hesham Issawi
Amr Youssef, Saba Mubarak
Magdy is a quiet, unassuming Taxi driver. When Magdy's wife becomes seriously ill all of Magdy's piteous earnings go to the escalating health costs of keeping her alive, he is given an opportunity to pay her medical bills. All Magdy has to do is agree to kill GALAL, the well-known left-wing writer who is known for his anti-Islamic views. Fate brings Dima, a Syrian immigrant into Magdy's life. In this exploration, Magdy and Dima's journey by way of violence and death turns out to be their path to self-discovery and true redemption.
The Price
