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Thartharah fawq el-Nil

  • 1971
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
842
YOUR RATING
Thartharah fawq el-Nil (1971)
Drama

Set against the backdrop of the 1967 Six-Day War, the movie adaptation of Naguib Mahfouz's novel follows the escapist, drug-fuelled riverboat meetings of a group of frustrated Egyptians from... Read allSet against the backdrop of the 1967 Six-Day War, the movie adaptation of Naguib Mahfouz's novel follows the escapist, drug-fuelled riverboat meetings of a group of frustrated Egyptians from various walks of life.Set against the backdrop of the 1967 Six-Day War, the movie adaptation of Naguib Mahfouz's novel follows the escapist, drug-fuelled riverboat meetings of a group of frustrated Egyptians from various walks of life.

  • Director
    • Hussein Kamal
  • Writers
    • Mamdouh El Leithy
    • Naguib Mahfouz
  • Stars
    • Ahmed Ramzy
    • Magda El-Khatib
    • Mervat Amin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    842
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Hussein Kamal
    • Writers
      • Mamdouh El Leithy
      • Naguib Mahfouz
    • Stars
      • Ahmed Ramzy
      • Magda El-Khatib
      • Mervat Amin
    • 3User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos17

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    Top cast25

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    Ahmed Ramzy
    Ahmed Ramzy
    • Ragab El-Qady
    Magda El-Khatib
    Magda El-Khatib
    • Samarah Bahgat
    Mervat Amin
    Mervat Amin
    • Sana
    Imad Hamdi
    Imad Hamdi
    • Anis Zaki
    Adel Adham
    • Ali el-Sayyed
    Ahmed Al Jaziri
    • Abdo
    Fattheia Aly
      Abdullah Bayoumi
      Zizi Fared
      Mahmood Farid
      • Director Sumaa
      Radwan Hafez
      Mahmoud Hamdi
      Mahmoud Kamel
      • Abo Serea
      Qadria Kamel
        Anwar Madkour
        Nemat Mokhtar
        • Saniya Kamel
        Salah Nazmi
        • Khaled Azzooz
        Soheir Ramzy
        • Layla Zidan
        • Director
          • Hussein Kamal
        • Writers
          • Mamdouh El Leithy
          • Naguib Mahfouz
        • All cast & crew
        • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

        User reviews3

        7.7842
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        Featured reviews

        9AkramFilms

        Dark Comedy with a Philosophical Twist: A Brilliant Satire on Society

        Tharthara Fawq Al-Nil is a cinematic masterpiece that blends black comedy with a sharp, satirical, and philosophical tone. The film uses dark humor to highlight the social and political tensions in a clever and intricate manner. The satire throughout the film transforms it into a more intellectual journey than a mere comedy, offering a biting critique of the reality the characters endure. The philosophical undertones in the film provide a profound depth to every scene, sparking reflection on humanity and society within a meticulously crafted comedic framework.

        A thought-provoking exploration of human flaws.
        9ahmed_elmaradny

        a great Egyptian movie

        A great movie for a great novel it's one of my favorite Egyptian movies.

        Because of many things ;the story that talks about Egypt after 1967 and causes that leads to it,about critics ,writers,actors,lawyers every body even university students at this time.

        Acting specially Emad Hamdy who played one of his best performances. i have seen this movie about 7 times or may be more and i can't stop watching it .

        About direction by Hussen Kamal who is one the best Egyptian directors of all time .what i say is that movie has it all.i have owner ed to comment for this movie. the end ,it was scream to wake the people up ,i think they do. remember 1973 was 2 years later.WATCH IT.
        10CallEmLikeISeeEm

        An outstanding example of Egyptian cinema

        A big part of Egypt's massive cultural output in the mid 20th century was its' literary output, most famously the novels of Naguib Mahfouz, who went on to win the Nobel Literature Prize. Adrift On the Nile was one of his most famous novels, written in 1966. It prophetically foresaw the Six Day War and painted a rather accurate picture of Nasserite Egypt. This movie adaptation was filmed five years after the book's release, in 1971.

        The movie follows protagonist Anis Zaki, a former tutor and current civil servant who's only escape from everyday life and hardships is his supply of hash. A chance encounter with an old student - now a very successful handsome ageing leading actor - leads him to be quickly initiated into a group of fellow stoners who convene regularly on the actor's private riverboat on the Nile. Among them are a renowned thinker, a famous news critic, a struggling single working girl, and a student-turned-aspiring actress. The very cleverly scripted dialogue offers a snapshot and critique of Egyptian society in the late 1960's.

        This movie presents some of the finest talents from Egypt's Golden Age of Cinema. Emad Hamdy's portrayal of Anis Zaki is truly Oscar worthy, and so was Adel Adham (who always played his supporting roles to perfection). Ahmed Ramzy excels at playing the ageing leading actor; I believe he based the character partly on himself (he was a dashing leading man in the 1950's and 60's, and by the early 70's his career was starting to wane).

        My only concern with respect to non-Arab viewers is that whenever I watch the movie, the English subtitling is rather poor and leaves little of the original dialogue's beauty. Speaking as both a native English and Arabic speaker, I find the subtitling too literal, often bordering on cheesy. Regardless, I think this movie is a must watch and I think the actors' performances really transcend language.

        I have seen this movie about 15 times since my teens. Every time, I sit through the entire movie, and it always feels fresh. It is also one of the finest films produced in Egypt and often makes its' way to Arab film festivals. Highly recommended.

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        Drama

        Storyline

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        Did you know

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        • Trivia
          The film was released during the era of Anwar Al Sadat the former President of Egypt, winner of Nobel Peace Prize, and was taken quickly from the market because the film was seen as a criticism of the Gamal Abdel Nasser socialism period, and the oppression of artistic films during Nasser's time when it was forbidden to make any film unless the rich were clearly portrayed critically while the poor had to be shown sympathetically. Anwar al-Sadat didn't want to upset the Egyptian people, some of whom still loved and respected Nasser.
        • Soundtracks
          Al Tisht Qalli
          Performed by Aida Al Shaer

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        Details

        Edit
        • Release date
          • November 15, 1971 (Egypt)
        • Country of origin
          • Egypt
        • Language
          • Arabic
        • Also known as
          • Adrift on the Nile
        • See more company credits at IMDbPro

        Tech specs

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        • Runtime
          • 1h 55m(115 min)
        • Color
          • Black and White
          • Color

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