A paralyzed wife, a suspicious husband, and a secretary who holds all the power—Egyptian noir that simmers.
In a dramatic atmosphere, the film tells the story of a family whose members suffer greatly, as the head of the family, "Shaker", forces his daughter to marry the man he chose, even though she loves someone else. In addition, "Samiha", Shaker's wife, is sick and paralyzed. In his desire to improve the situation, Shaker asks for a new secretary to help his wife, and from here things become very complicated as "Ibtisam" is appointed to the job. Shaker begins to doubt everyone around him except Ibtisam, and refuses to take medicine from anyone except her, so the events take a new dramatic turn.
Acting
Stephan Rosti's paranoia simmers perfectly beneath respectability.
Direction
Essa Karama traps you in that suffocating mansion.
Cinematography
Black-and-white shadows that breathe Cairo's golden age.
Director
Essa Karama
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Stephan Rosti, playing Shaker Bey, was actually of Italian-Egyptian heritage—one of many foreign-origin stars who defined Egypt's golden age cinema.
The 'poisonous secretary' archetype here directly echoes 1940s Hollywood gothic thrillers like 'Gaslight,' but filtered through distinctly Arab domestic anxieties about class and gender.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
EG
