The Wife of an Important Man

Mohamed Khan's 1988 Egyptian film follows Mona, who marries a police officer of apparently good standing, discovering what her husband is at work. Hisham serves in state security, and his controlling manner at home and his authority outside come from the same source. The film's courage is telling political repression from inside a home: a woman's fear of her husband and a society's fear of the state meet in the same scene. Ahmed Zaki's performance builds the collapse in stages. Its references to the Sadat years were quite open for the time. Mervat Amin's Mona is not written as passive. The telling is harsh and the ending merciless. Who it's for: viewers interested in Egyptian cinema and drama carrying political criticism. Who it's not for: anyone avoiding content involving domestic violence and psychological pressure, or wanting a hopeful close.