Showing @ Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 17 Feb only
Hesham Issawi / Egypt / 2010 / 100min
History’s famed star-cross’d lovers, Romeo and Juliet, could be torn apart, put back together and dragged through a hedge backwards and still get an audience. It’s considered to be a timeless tragedy and many attempts to bring it into the modern world will doubtless continue. But to fully understand the factors of the present day that thwart our “love will prevail” romanticism, we need look no further than Egyptian film Cairo Exit.
Hesham Issawi’s powerful and compelling piece of drama tells the story of two lovers – Tarek (Mohamed Ramadan) and Amal (Maryhan) – who live in the slums of Cairo. Tarek plans to leave on an illegal boat to Italy, but when Amal tells him she is pregnant, she must decide whether to leave with him, or have an abortion and stay to provide for her family.
The poverty and frustration which swells throughout the film is bleak and consistent. It’s difficult to comprehend just how hard it is to find even the most basic of jobs. Conflicting religions prevent them from being able to sustain a marriage in Cairo. Natural lighting amid claustrophobic and cramped living and working conditions create frank and honest images; we are not disillusioned in any way. To say the film lacks romanticism is not to say it’s missing optimism. There are brief moments where the two protagonists are able to express their love and hope for the future, but the overarching thoughtful and cautious tone of the film warns the audience away from giving in to the idea of a happy ending. The ending happens fast, after a steady build up, as with many great love stories, but it’s not cathartic, unlike many others. For all Westerners, lovers and romantics, you might find that the biggest tragedy isn’t death or separation; it’s that the freedom which we are granted here does not exist everywhere. It’s easy to love when you have money. And it’s not easy to live without love. And for that, Cairo Exit will trump R&J every time.