By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Yousry Nasrallah
Starring: Hassan El Raddad | Mahmoud Hemida | Mona Zaki | Nahed El Sebaï
Original language title: Ehky ya Scheherazade
Country: egypt
Year: 2009
Running time: 134
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1473149/
Bruce says: “SCHEHERAZADE: TELL ME A STORY weaves the tales of women who, in order to survive, have to tell a story. From the opening credits featuring bright red tomatoes on a black counter top, director Yousry Nasrallah forces to viewer to sit up and notice what is on the screen. The central characters in this melodrama are Hebbe, a leading talk show host – perhaps the Oprah of Cairo. Her husband Karim is in the middle of a vast reshuffling in the Cairo publishing world. Karim is a potential heir to the top position of the leading Cairo newspaper. They are very attractive, educated and rich workaholics. They are also playful, reflecting a Western sensibility. After a long day Karim invites Hebbe to have some treadmill sex. ‘I can unwind you,’ he boasts. When Karim gets a phone call from a big politico saying his wife is too negative about like in Cairo on her show, Karim asks her to cool down until the newspaper wars are over. ‘I thought we agreed not to meddle in each other’s careers,’ she replies. The words on the street are confusing to Hebbe. ‘Only political supporters have a future,’ she hears one minute, then ‘Your marriage isn’t a horse race…it’s more important than your job.’ ‘Stick to high society small talk and gossip,’ she is advised. To Karim she reflectively confesses, ‘Our only common ground is the bed.’
“Hebbe decides to turn to human interest stories on her show, particularly women who have struggled. First she interviews a sixty year old woman who is a manic-depressive virgin. Next a murderess who comepes with her two sisters for the man she loves and kills him in revenge. Another woman’s quest for a perfect man led her to be a patient in an insane asylum. A professional woman is tricked into marrying a bigamist who is after her family’s money in the form of a large dowry; after the marriage he blackmails her in the name of her ‘saving face.’
“These stories have one thing in common thematically. Egyptian women have only nominal rights. All the cards are stacked in favor of the men – professionally, domestically and even romantically. Hebbe is as liberated as any woman could possibly be, yet it is inevitable that she must suffer a horrible fate before the film ends. She uses her misfortune to turn the tables on those who have abused her. It is a sad and terrifying moment; Hebbe is only preaching to the converted.
“My preference is to write a review for a film immediately after the screening. The reasons are obvious – one’s overall memory is better, the details are still crisp, and the emotional impact (for better or worse) is lingering still. Often, and particularly at film festivals, that is not possible. Being on top of things does not, however, give one the chance to see if the film will stick in the mind. SCHEHERAZADE is a case in point. My attitude when I saw the film in September was that SCHEHERAZADE was so-so. Based on the number of times I’ve thought about the film since then, it ranks many times higher than other films I regarded more highly at the time. SCHEHERAZADE is a haunting film. 4 cats
“(SCHEHERAZADE: TELL ME A STORY screened at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.)“