Underplayed Gems

The Stories (2026)

The Stories poster
Original title
القصص
Directed by
Abu Bakr Shawky
Country
Egypt
Rating
6.2 of 10 from 5 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

An anthology film that follows the relationship between an Egyptian man and an Austrian woman across different periods of their lives. The episodes are set against changing historical and political contexts.

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What happens

The Stories (Arabic: القِصَص, French: Notre histoire – Chroniques du Caire) is a 2025 Egyptian anthology drama film written and directed by Abu Bakr Shawky. A co-production between Egypt, France, Austria, Belgium, and Sweden, the film stars Amir El-Masry, Nelly Karim and Valerie Pachner among others. Structured as an anthology, it follows interconnected episodes tracing relationship between an Egyptian man and an Austrian woman, unfolding across different periods of their lives against shifting historical and political backdrops. The story is semi-autobiographical film based on the Shawky’s parents and how they met. The film had its world premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in November 2025. It went on to win the Golden Tanit for Best Film at the Carthage Film Festival and also screened at festivals including the Red Sea International Film Festival. It later screened at the Cabourg Film Festival in June 2026 before receiving theatrical releases in Egypt on 16 June 2026 and in France on 10 July 2026. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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