Underplayed Gems

Stolen kiss (2008)

Stolen kiss poster
Directed by
Khaled El Hagar
Country
Egypt
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

The film follows three couples and other young Egyptians dealing with taboo issues like family conflicts, unemployment, sexual frustration, prostitution, and violence. A woman cannot marry her lover due to class differences; a relationship is strained by one partner's material ambition; and another couple struggles to support themselves while keeping their bond stable.

tensegrittysteamyrealisticmelancholicprovocativeslow-burndramatic

What happens

Qoboulat Masrouqa is a 2008 Egyptian film directed by Khaled El Hagar and written by Ahmed Saleh. The film stars Yosra El Lozy, Ahmed Azmy, Bassem Samra and Randa El Behery, The film focuses on nine Egyptians in their twenties faced with common, but taboo subjects in Egypt: family conflicts, unemployment, sexual frustration, prostitution and violence. By keeping an Egyptian voice accessible to the larger audience, this 2009 production kicked off many heated debates in Egypt, including death threats. The film, known for its bold, steamy scenes strayed far from the lines of ‘Clean Cinema’ which, since 1998, had dominated the arts scene in Egypt, imposing new restrictions on freedom of expression. The film narrates the stories of three couples Ahmed Azmy and Yosra El Lozy who loves Ahmed Azmy, but cannot get married lawfully because of the vast class differences between them; the relationship between Farah Yousef and Bassem Samra, which is frustrated by Farah's ambition for a more luxurious life, and Randa El Behery and Mohamed Karim, who strive to make a living, and keep the balance in their relationship. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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