The Yacoubian Building is an Egyptian Drama based on the novel by Alaa Al Aswany and set in the early 1990s. The film offers a scathing portrayal of modern Egyptian society since the coup d’etat of 1952. The setting is downtown Cairo, with the renouned apartment building serving as both a metaphor for contemporary Egypt and a unifying location in which most of the primary characters either live or work and in which much of the action takes place.
The Egyptian film sports some of the most renouned Middle Eastern actors such as Adel Imam, Youssra and Nour el Sherif. After premiering at the Berlin Film Festival in 2006, the film opened in Egypt in June. The Yacoubian Building was Egypt’s official submission to the 79th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
It’s a must-watch film, reflecting the truths of modern-day Egyptian society.
Currently it is showing on BBC iPlayer until the 12th of March. To view, go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j0gnp/b00jcfl2/The_Yacoubian_Building/
