Cairo Time
2009

Opening 1 Sep 2011

Directed by: Ruba Nadda
Writing credits: Ruba Nadda
Principal actors: Patricia Clarkson, Alexander Siddig

Juliette Grant (Patricia Clarkson) arrives to the heat and dust of Cairo and is surprised to be met at the airport by Tareq (Alexander Siddig), her husband Mark's former security man. Mark works for the UN and has been held up in Gaza where there has been an uprising at a refugee camp. When Mark still doesn't arrive after a couple of days and Juliette has had her share of bad experiences, being an American woman on her own in an Arabic country, she phones Tareq for company. Tareq is a quiet man, not handsome but interesting looking with bedroom eyes. He shows her around and – wonder of wonders – the city works its magic on them and they begin to fall in love.

There is not much dialogue and not even much of a story, but one gets a feel for Egypt. Cairo, although dirty and clogged with traffic, is beautiful to see with all its colors, the souks, the exotic atmosphere. (Thelma Freedman)