Thursday March 28th, 2024
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Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim: Egyptian Filmmaking Brilliance Unleashed on the Big Screen

How two ‘mad’ men, a goat, and dazzling visuals will strike your mind, body, and spirit.

Staff Writer

Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim: Egyptian Filmmaking Brilliance Unleashed on the Big Screen

Rescuing a prostitute, stabbing an innocent pink teddy bear, singing underwater, and smoking hash with a little goat is the least you can expect from the ground-shifting movie to be released in March: Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim. 

The brilliance of this strikingly authentic movie lies not only in the unorthodox plot that keeps tangling and disassembling throughout, but also the impressive mise-en-scène used in the most artistic ways to portray shaaby (working class) Cairene neighbourhoods. With electro-blue, blurred, and augmented fairy lights in the background and massive interior shots oozing with texture, the viewer can’t help but be entirely captivated by the alluring working class romance and shaaby nostalgia imbuing the visuals that the movie has mastered.Adding to this moody ocean of colours and soft visuals are juxtaposing scenes, a solid plot involving a prophetic goat, and the evolution of a unique friendship among potheads, prostitutes, and mad men; you get the plea for coexistence in its most basic form.The languid transparency of its characters and the effortless simplicity in their interactions as well as raw humour and dialogue will make you feel as if you are one of the protagonists’ close friends signifying brilliant character development. These elements, along with many visually symbolic references like hanging microphones, CDs, and flying pigeons shift the way we see socio-cultural issues like poverty, stigma, prostitution, black magic, chivalry, and love. The entire plot, including all these heavy themes, revolves around a little white goat which symbolizes the viewers’ descent into the bizarre and quixotic.The poetic aftertaste of this cinematic piece will leave the audience entranced with blooming notions of human passion and coexistence, marking this production not only as a visual wonder but also a cultural lullaby that Egyptians should welcome and celebrate.

Check out Ali, The Goat and Ibrahim on Facebook.
Pictures courtesy of Mad Solutions. 
Check out the original article on our new rival sister site Al Scene.