Face to Face

Waleed El Halfawy's 2023 Egyptian film opens with a couple who bring other people into their marital problems. During the argument the door lock breaks and everyone in the flat is shut inside; from there the problem grows. The film uses the pressure a single location provides. Because nobody can leave, every word accumulates; family members and neighbours open their own accounts as well. The movement between comedy and drama comes from that accumulation. Mohamed Mamdouh and Amina Khalil lead. The narrative is close to theatre; the acting and the rhythm of the dialogue carry the film while the camera stays plain. Who it's for: those who like contemporary Egyptian comedy drama and single-location films. Who it's not for: viewers looking for visual variety; the film takes place almost entirely in the same flat.