The scenario is a dusty, arid piece of land part of a spread owned by Mourad, a wealthy landowner (he has a career as an engineer and a house in Cairo). Although we are in the 21st century, the relation of tenant farmers Hassan and Fatma with their landlord Mourad is one of subservience/abuse not very different from that between a medieval lord and his serfs. Hassan endures constant humiliation by Mourad and is a kindly but ineffective husband to Fatma.
The movie opens with a striking scene where we see Ali, Hassan's cousin, on the run; he has just escaped from prison seven years into a 25 year sentence for murder. Ali is given refuge by Hassan, a situation complicated by his being Fatma's old flame.
The year is 2011, shortly after the events that kicked off the Arab Spring. Large crowds gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square to demand the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak, and the government answers with attempts to silence dissent by means of censorship and violence. The situation worries Mourad, who has two grownup children and fears the consequences of their possible involvement in the uprising. On the other hand, Hassan, Fatma and Ali know that the revolt, successful or not will not make any significant difference in their living conditions.
The first part of the movie brings to mind (of course) The Postman Always Ring Twice. Then it veers into more melodramatic territory. The film caused much media debate over freedom of expression in its home country, and could only be presented to the public after many edits. This was not only due to its erotic subject but to the fact that it is a penetrating (sometimes stunning} examination of class relations in Egypt. Although the action is somewhat slow and repetitive at times, it all adds up to a film worth watching. A key component is the atmospheric cinematography by Néstor Calvo that captures the desolate, forbidding landscape.
