Hammaam in Amsterdam

Saeed Hamed's 1999 Egyptian film follows Hammaam, who loses his job and then the woman he loves to a rich suitor, and goes to Amsterdam. He loses his money and passport as soon as he arrives and starts working without papers in order to stay. The film is taken as the start of a generational change in Egyptian comedy and made Mohamed Henedi's career. The humour comes largely from differences of language and culture; Hammaam understanding nothing in the Netherlands is its engine. What stands out is refusing to romanticise migration: the conditions of undocumented work are shown plainly. The story is faithful to its template and the ending predictable. Who it's for: viewers who like Egyptian popular comedy and stories of migration. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a story outside the template, or troubled by the gender conventions of the period.