Satvikam: Screening of “Scheherzade, Tell Me A Story” (Egypt)

Jan 20, 2017

07:00 PM - 09:45 PM

Fanatika, 25, Vasundhara Society, Gulbai Tekra, Ahmedabad, India

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2017-01-20 19:00:00 2017-01-20 21:45:00 Asia/Kolkata Satvikam: Screening of "Scheherzade, Tell Me A Story" (Egypt) Resetting “The Arabian Nights” in modern-day Cairo, “Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story” presents an environment of oppressive politics and repressed women. There’s nothing stifling, however, about Wahid Hamed’s razor-sharp screenplay or Yousry Nasrallah’s exuberant direction. Repurposing the soapy structure and gaudy style of Egyptian melodrama, both men cleverly expose a society hobbled by fear of female autonomy. Central to the story is Hebba (Mona Zakki), a popular talk-show host whose preening new husband, Karim (Hassan El Raddad), wants her to abandon the political criticism she favors until he wins a coveted promotion at his state-run job. To please him Hebba switches to what she believes will be fluff pieces on the lives of regular women. Her strategy backfires (in a canny reversal of the Scheherazade fable) when each successive real-life account evolves into an ever-more-horrifying struggle against legally sanctioned male entitlement. In the Arab world even love, it seems, is political. Weaving three disparate tales into the escalating impasse between Hebba and Karim, “Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story” is the very opposite of diatribe. Lively, swift, vibrantly colorful and for the most part wonderfully acted, the film is slyly aware of the daytime talk show as a vehicle for women’s concerns. Broadcasts of the show features screamingly stylized shots of Hebba’s face reacting to the pain of her interviewees, and the film’s heightened emotions demand much of its female leads. The most memorable is Rihab El Gamal, playing the eldest of three sisters vying for the same traitorous man. The fury that accompanies the shocking climax to her story feels uncomfortably real. A precise fabulist, Mr. Nasrallah — whose current project about Egypt’s recent political upheavals is already beset by controversy — coats political medicine in the honey of seduction. SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY Directed by Yousry Nasrallah; written by Wahid Hamed; director of photography, Samir Bahsan; edited by Mona Rabi; music by Tamer Karawan; sets by Mohamed Atteya; costumes by Dina Nadeem; released by ArtMattan Productions. At the Riverside Theater, 91 Claremont Avenue, at 120th Street, Morningside Heights. In Arabic, with English subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes. This film is not rated. WITH: Mona Zakki (Hebba), Mahmoud Hemeida (Adham), Hassan El Raddad (Karim), Sawsan Badr (Amany), Rihab El Gamal (Safaa), Nesrine Amin (Wafaa), Nahed El Sebaï (Hanaa), Mohamed Ramadan (Saïd) and Sanaa Akroud (Nahed). Fanatika, 25, Vasundhara Society, Gulbai Tekra, Ahmedabad, India Creativeyatra.com info@creativeyatra.com

Resetting “The Arabian Nights” in modern-day Cairo, “Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story” presents an environment of oppressive politics and repressed women.

There’s nothing stifling, however, about Wahid Hamed’s razor-sharp screenplay or Yousry Nasrallah’s exuberant direction. Repurposing the soapy structure and gaudy style of Egyptian melodrama, both men cleverly expose a society hobbled by fear of female autonomy. Central to the story is Hebba (Mona Zakki), a popular talk-show host whose preening new husband, Karim (Hassan El Raddad), wants her to abandon the political criticism she favors until he wins a coveted promotion at his state-run job.

To please him Hebba switches to what she believes will be fluff pieces on the lives of regular women. Her strategy backfires (in a canny reversal of the Scheherazade fable) when each successive real-life account evolves into an ever-more-horrifying struggle against legally sanctioned male entitlement. In the Arab world even love, it seems, is political.

Weaving three disparate tales into the escalating impasse between Hebba and Karim, “Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story” is the very opposite of diatribe. Lively, swift, vibrantly colorful and for the most part wonderfully acted, the film is slyly aware of the daytime talk show as a vehicle for women’s concerns. Broadcasts of the show features screamingly stylized shots of Hebba’s face reacting to the pain of her interviewees, and the film’s heightened emotions demand much of its female leads. The most memorable is Rihab El Gamal, playing the eldest of three sisters vying for the same traitorous man. The fury that accompanies the shocking climax to her story feels uncomfortably real.

A precise fabulist, Mr. Nasrallah — whose current project about Egypt’s recent political upheavals is already beset by controversy — coats political medicine in the honey of seduction.

SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY

Directed by Yousry Nasrallah; written by Wahid Hamed; director of photography, Samir Bahsan; edited by Mona Rabi; music by Tamer Karawan; sets by Mohamed Atteya; costumes by Dina Nadeem; released by ArtMattan Productions. At the Riverside Theater, 91 Claremont Avenue, at 120th Street, Morningside Heights. In Arabic, with English subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes. This film is not rated.

WITH: Mona Zakki (Hebba), Mahmoud Hemeida (Adham), Hassan El Raddad (Karim), Sawsan Badr (Amany), Rihab El Gamal (Safaa), Nesrine Amin (Wafaa), Nahed El Sebaï (Hanaa), Mohamed Ramadan (Saïd) and Sanaa Akroud (Nahed).