An Egyptian b&w drama by the acclaimed Egyptian actor/producer/director, Youssef Chahine. The film is listed as the 2nd from the top of the list of the "Top 100 Egyptian films of the 20th Century".
The events of the movie are set in the Cairo Train Station and it concerns the subculture of station men and women who haul luggage and sell refreshments and periodicals to travelers, and operate out of shacks and abandoned old railroad cars. Chahine is Kinawi, a mentally unstable and lame newspaper seller that has a wild psychosexual obsession with illegal cold drinks vendor, Hanouma (played by Hind Rostom). Hanouma is engaged to Abou Seri' (played by Faris Shawqi) a porter and trade union organiser. The story includes a murder.
The film was entered in the Berlin International Festival, and as the Egyptian entry for the Best Foreign Film Language Film at the Academy Awards.
The film has been hailed by international movie watchers as a masterpiece in the style of neorealist cinema. Themes depicted in the film include the urban working class, gender-based violence, and sexual repression, and Union issues.
Chahine plays Kinawai's role to perfection. Excellent acting. Chahine also directed the movie.
It is worth watching the film to see Chahine's performance.
The film is on YouTube where it includes English subtitles.