Against the Government

Atef El-Tayeb's 1992 Egyptian film follows Mostafa, who becomes a personal injury lawyer after being dismissed from the prosecution service. He makes money from accidents and turns his clients' pain into a bargaining chip. The turning point is his own son's accident. Mostafa now stands on the other side and brings a case against state institutions; the narrative uses that reversal not as a personal lesson but to show how the system works. Ahmed Zaki leads. The narrative gives wide space to courtroom scenes and takes direct aim at bureaucracy. The tone is hard and the close offers no relief. Who it's for: those who follow Egyptian social drama and courtroom narratives. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a close in which justice is done; the film does not provide it.