Qoboulat Masrouqa is a 2008 Egyptian film directed by Khaled El Hagar and written by Ahmed Saleh. The film stars

Yosra El Lozy Yosra El Lozy ( ar, يسرا اللوزي, ; born August 8, 1985) is an Egyptian actress. She has received many awards from regional and international film festivals. She has won various awards for her acting in '' Qobolat Masrouqa'' (2008), '' ...

, Ahmed Azmy, Bassem Samra and Randa El Behery, The film focuses on nine Egyptians in their twenties faced with common, but taboo subjects in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

: family conflicts,

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for Work (human activity), w ...

sexual frustration Sexual frustration is a sense of dissatisfaction stemming from a discrepancy between a person's desired and achieved sexual activity. It may result from physical, mental, emotional, social, and religious or spiritual barriers. It may also deri ...

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

and

violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or Power (social and p ...

. By keeping an Egyptian voice accessible to the larger audience, this 2009 production kicked off many heated debates in Egypt, including death threats. The film, known for its bold, steamy scenes strayed far from the lines of ‘Clean Cinema’ which, since 1998, had dominated the arts scene in Egypt, imposing new restrictions on freedom of expression. The film narrates the stories of three couples Ahmed Azmy and

who loves Ahmed Azmy, but cannot get married lawfully because of the vast class differences between them; the relationship between Farah Yousef and Bassem Samra, which is frustrated by Farah's ambition for a more luxurious life, and Randa El Behery and Mohamed Karim, who strive to make a living, and keep the balance in their relationship.

Awards

The film won eight international acting awards at the 24th

Alexandria International Film Festival Alexandria International Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries is a film festival in Egypt. Organized by the Egyptian Association of Film Writers and Critics (EAFWC). The AIFF aims to broaden film culture and strengthen the relationship betwe ...

, the film opened the festival and was in the official competition as well at the Opera house in Alexandria.

References

Egyptian romantic drama films 2000s Arabic-language films 2000s Egyptian films {{Egypt-film-stub