The Escape

Atef El-Tayeb's 1991 Egyptian film follows Mountasir, up from the village. He becomes involved in his friend Midhat's affairs, is betrayed and goes to prison, and while inside learns what has happened to his wife. The second half turns on escape and revenge. When Mountasir gets out, both the police and his former partners are after him; while sustaining the chase, the narrative shows how crime became a system. Ahmed Zaki leads, in one of the most cited roles of his career. The outer districts of Cairo are shown in detail, and the closing scene is often recalled in Egyptian cinema. The tone is hard and hopeless. Who it's for: those who follow Egyptian crime films and the realism that came after the eighties. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a hopeful close; the film shuts off the way out from the start.