Al-boustaguy

"The Postman" is one of the most daring and memorable classics of Egyptian cinema. Set in a remote Upper Egyptian village during the 1960s, the story follows a young postman whose profession is supposed to embody trust and confidentiality. Yet, driven by curiosity, he begins to open people's letters and gradually turns into a voyeur of their private lives. This act of betrayal becomes a lens through which the film uncovers a web of hidden secrets, tragedies, and hypocrisies that lie beneath the surface of rural traditions and respectability.

Through symbolic storytelling, meticulous direction, and powerful performances, the film paints an honest and haunting portrait of Egyptian society at the time. It questions the boundaries of personal ethics, the dangers of unchecked curiosity, and the heavy weight of social norms. Both human and unsettling, "The Postman" remains a landmark in Arab cinema and a timeless reflection on morality, repression, and the fragility of trust.

The movie tells the story of Abbas (Shokri Sarhan), who was recently appointed by the government as the new postman of a small Egyptian village in Upper Egypt. He is shocked by the ignorance and underdevelopment of the villagers, who are very unfriendly to him.

To get revenge on the villagers and to amuse himself in his boredom, he decides to secretly read their mail before delivering it to them.

A letter from a girl named Jamila (Zizi Mustafa) to her lover, Khalil (Saif Abdel Rahman), catches his attention, and he decides to follow their story. He learns that the girl is pregnant with his child and that she is begging him to come and marry her. Khalil proposes to her father (Salah Mansour) to marry her, but he refuses because the young man saw the girl and recognized her when she was studying at school, which is against their tradition.

A message arrives for Jamila from Khalil to rescue her, but Abbas may have damaged it and did not hand it over to her, afraid of being questioned and thinking that her lover would send her another letter if she doesn't reply.

Now, because the girl didn't go to the post office herself to receive the letters but used an old woman who sold her clothes, Abbas never saw her face and didn't know where she lived.

The old woman wasn't in the village and Abbas knew that the last letter was very important and that the girl might be killed by her father if he found out that she was pregnant.

Will Abbas find out who the girl is? Will he be able to hand her the letter before the crime happens? You can only find out by watching this great movie and don't forget to leave me a comment afterwards telling me what you think about it.