''Thieves in Thailand'' ( arz, حراميه فى تايلاند "Haramiyyah fi Tayland") is a 2003 Egyptian film directed by Sandra Nashaat. It is a

35 mm film 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film * 35 mm movie film 35 mm film is a film gauge used in filmmaking, and the film standard. In motion pictures that record on f ...

and lasts for 105 minutes.Hillauer, p
102
"Filmography (35 mm, unless otherwise specified)" Lisa Anderson of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' uses the film as an example of increasing conservatism in Egypt.

Plot

It is set in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

and includes a romance.Anderson, Lisa. "Egypt's cultural shift reflects Islam's pull." ''

''. March 21, 2004. p
3
Retrieved on February 21, 2013. "An example is the recent hit movie "Thieves in Thailand." A mindless romp spiced with lush Thai landscapes, the film revolves around a romance—but not a single kiss sullies the screen." The main character, Fatin, is a late 20s, lower middle class man from

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

who travels to Thailand.Nakla, Sherif Iskandar.
Cosmopolitan grass roots
"
Archive
''

Al Ahram Weekly ''Al-Ahram Weekly'' is an English-language weekly broadsheet printed by the Al-Ahram Publishing House in Cairo, Egypt. History and profile ''Al Ahram Weekly'' was established in 1991 by the ''Al-Ahram'' newspaper, which also runs a French-langua ...

''. 27 March – 2 April 2003. Issue No. 631. Retrieved on February 21, 2013. No intimate contact, including a kiss, is seen.

Production

The naming was meant to coincide with Ismail Yassin films. The films, which used the same cast members and the same style but had differing themes and stories, started with ''Ismail Yassin fi'' ("Ismail Yassin in"). Likewise this film was produced after Nashaat's ''Harameya fi KG2'' ('' Thieves in KG2'').

Cast

* Maged el-Kedwany – Fatin * Karim Abdel-Aziz – Ebrahim, Fatin's brother *

Hanan Tork Hanan Tork ( ar, حنان ترك; born 7 March 1975 is a retired Egyptian actress and ballerina. She was born as Hanan Hasan Abdelkrim Tork ( ar, حنان حسن عبد الكريم ترك), and is credited as Hanan Tork. She is a sister to two ...

– Hanan – Hanan is Ebrahim's wife and is forced to be his accomplice

Reception

The film was very popular in Egypt. Sandra Nashaat said "The film was as well received as I expected, although I feel it could have been seen by a greater number of people. But of course due to the war fewer people are going to the movies. One of my concerns was that ''Harameya fi Thailand'' would be compared and contrasted with '' Harameya fi KG2'', because they are two entirely different films. In the end the inevitable happened, but at least it was positive: many liked ''Harameya fi Thailand'' more." Sherif Iskander Nakhla of ''

Al-Ahram Weekly ''Al-Ahram Weekly'' is an English-language weekly broadsheet printed by the Al-Ahram Publishing House in Cairo, Egypt. History and profile ''Al Ahram Weekly'' was established in 1991 by the ''Al-Ahram'' newspaper, which also runs a French-langu ...

'' said "As a whole the film has memorable moments, yet its narrative structure falls short of the highest standards." Lisa Anderson of the ''

'' described the film as "A mindless romp spiced with lush Thai landscapes".

References

* Armes, Roy. ''Dictionary of African Filmmakers''.

Indiana University Press Indiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher founded in 1950 at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana. IU Press publishes 140 ...

, July 11, 2008. , 9780253000422. * Hillauer, Rebecca. ''Encyclopedia of Arab Women Filmmakers''.

American University in Cairo Press The American University in Cairo Press (AUCP, AUC Press) is the leading English-language publisher in the Middle East. The largest translator of Arabic literature in the world, AUC Press has a reputation for carefully selecting and translating t ...

, 2005. , 9789774249433.

Notes

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0385738 2000s romance films 2003 films Films set in Thailand Egyptian romance films