The City Will Pursue You
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Ahmed Soliman
Log Line
Exploring the relationship between man and place by following the paths of six characters in contemporary Alexandria.
Exploring the relationship between man and place by following the paths of six characters in contemporary Alexandria.
Islam Kamal
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Mohamad El-Hadidi
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Alaa Khaled
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Ashraf El Rammah
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Synopsis
In Alexandria, Ossama follows stories of old buildings being demolished and historical landmarks disappearing. He encounters different characters recounting their connections to certain places in the city that are on the verge of vanishing. Some are quite nostalgic and take the matter as a sign of the city’s downfall, while others are more “practical”.
In Alexandria, Ossama follows stories of old buildings being demolished and historical landmarks disappearing. He encounters different characters recounting their connections to certain places in the city that are on the verge of vanishing. Some are quite nostalgic and take the matter as a sign of the city’s downfall, while others are more “practical”.
Ossama Helmy
A RUFY’s Films production
Producer Mohamad El-Hadidi
DOP Mohamad El-Hadidi
Cameramen Mohamad El-Hadidi . Ahmed Nabil
Sound recorder Sameh Nabil
Sound mixer Samir Nabil
Production Services Rasha Gawdat . Ahmed Zayyan
Editors Ahmed Magdy Morsy . Ahmed Nabil
Writer and Director Ahmed Nabil
The film project was developed at "Documentary Campus: The MENA Programme 2012". It also participated in the 2014 Cairo International Film Festival Industry Forum, and it was kindly supported by the British Council in Cairo.
Director’s Statement
This film was made as a desperate reaction to the continuous deterioration that Alexandria, my home city, has been going through for decades. In real life nothing can be done. In a country that suffers from a diverse range of infrastructure threats, the last task that any official might consider is the preservation of the architectural or cultural heritage. Thus, the past of Alexandria is being demolished with all the historical traces of the famous once iconic city.
The narrative is examining the assumption that “intellectuals” are barely reality changers. The most that a writer, poet or a filmmaker can do is to document reality and work his imagination on it, but not to change anything within. If there is no political will, and if intellectuals are not empowered and backed up by enforced laws, the situation will continue to be more and more catastrophic. It is a film that is weaved with the “Identity” notion in mind. During the recent years the temptation of leaving Egypt was always there. However, the revolution came with some winds of change that worked on deepening one’s roots in his homeland. However, some time later, things have changed.
This film was made as a desperate reaction to the continuous deterioration that Alexandria, my home city, has been going through for decades. In real life nothing can be done. In a country that suffers from a diverse range of infrastructure threats, the last task that any official might consider is the preservation of the architectural or cultural heritage. Thus, the past of Alexandria is being demolished with all the historical traces of the famous once iconic city.
The narrative is examining the assumption that “intellectuals” are barely reality changers. The most that a writer, poet or a filmmaker can do is to document reality and work his imagination on it, but not to change anything within. If there is no political will, and if intellectuals are not empowered and backed up by enforced laws, the situation will continue to be more and more catastrophic. It is a film that is weaved with the “Identity” notion in mind. During the recent years the temptation of leaving Egypt was always there. However, the revolution came with some winds of change that worked on deepening one’s roots in his homeland. However, some time later, things have changed.
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Screenings
April 2017 - 19th Ismailia International Film Festival, long documentary competition, Ismailia. 13 April 2018 - Goethe Film Week, Goethe Institute, Alexandria. (8 PM) 17 April 2018 - Goethe Film Week, Goethe Institute, El Dokki, Cairo. (8 PM) 26 April 2018 - Cairo Cinema Days, Karim Cinema, Cairo. (6:30 PM) 8 May 2018 - French Institute, Alexandria. (7 PM) 28 September 2018 - L'atelier d'Alexandrie. (6:30 PM) 19 February 2019 - Il Kino Cinema, Berlin. (6:30 PM) 29 February 2019 - Mawane Initiative, Bahrain. (7 PM) April 2019 - Tahrir Cultural center, Cairo |
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Watch the teaser
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Writings and Reviews
- An article by Nahed Nassr for Al-Ahram Weekly (Arabic). - An article by Salah Hashem for Cinemaisis (Arabic). - An article by Enas Abdallah for Al Shorouk (Arabic). - An article by Mariam Ibraheem Haiba (Arabic). - An article by Rana Elgmiey for Masrawy (Arabic). - An article by Maram Medhat (Arabic). - An article by Ahmed Rahal for Mada Masr (Arabic). - "The City as Sentient Being" (English) Schindler, A. (2021). Living in Permanent Transience: An Ethnography of Contemporary Alexandria. [Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The CUNY Graduate Center]. |
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