Cairo Exit (+ short film: Hêvî)
A classic story of an ill-fated love amidst the tough battle for existence in contemporary Cairo.
Tarek has placed all his hope for the future in an illegal passage to Europe, while his girlfriend Amal is unable to abandon her family. But what perspective do they have, a Christian girl and an Islamic boy in Egypt? Not to mention the lack of jobs.
In her acting debut, Maryhan portrays a woman with nothing to lose and an infectious lust for life. The third protagonist of the film is Cairo, which filmmaker Hesham Issawi explores all the way to the rough quarters. His sober realism was not appreciated by the authorities; the film was banned in Egypt.
The screening of Cairo Exit will be preceded by the short film Hêvî (Mohammad Shaikhow, France, Syria, Qatar 2018, 20 min.): Running from the war, Hêvî (‘hope’ in Kurdish) and Walat await the human trafficker who will drive them across the border in the freezing cold. Beyond the mountains the couple will be safe, but they have a long way to go. Once they are on their way, the driver tells Walat to cross the border on foot. Hêvî stays behind with him.