''Villa 69'' (Arabic: فيلا ٦٩) is a 2013 Egyptian film drama by director
Ayten Amin
Ayten Amin (Arabic: آيتن أمين) is an Egyptian film director. She began her career making documentary films during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. She is best known for '' Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad, and the Politician'' and '' Villa 6 ...
, starring
Khaled Abol Naga,
Lebleba
Ninochka Manoug Kupelian ( ar, نينوتشكا مانوك كوبليان; born November 14, 1946 in Cairo), better known by her stage name Lebleba ( ar, لبلبة, , also Lubluba), is an Egyptian film actress and entertainer. She is the cousin ...
, and
Arwa Gouda. The film stars Naga as a
terminally ill
Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is expected to result in the death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer, dementia or advanced h ...
architect who, while living happily in solitude, is forced to alter the way he lives when his sister and grandson move in with him. The film was directed by Amin and distributed by
Al Massa Art Production.
The film was shot in multiple locations in Egypt including
Manial and
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
.
The film Villa 69 was inspired by the director's (
Ayten Amin
Ayten Amin (Arabic: آيتن أمين) is an Egyptian film director. She began her career making documentary films during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. She is best known for '' Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad, and the Politician'' and '' Villa 6 ...
's) father, who fell ill for two years before passing away, which was the family's most intimate time with him. Amin states: "I realized that the last two years were the best ones." This experience with her father was not dramatic, but more about overcoming everyday conflicts. Therefore, in Amin's film, the terminally ill, moody old man, Hussein is a tribute to her own father; fighting with his elder sister and great-nephew, until his gentler side shows.
Plot
Director Ayten Amin has created a film that falls somewhere in between a drama and a comedy, which offers a glimpse into the lifestyle and culture of everyday Egypt. By following the characters through times of illness, intimacy, joy, and death, Amin has created a film that truly engages her audience. The main character, Hussein (
Khaled Abol Naga), is a cranky architect who suffers from a terminal illness (that is never explicitly mentioned in the film). Unable to connect emotionally with people, Hussein enjoys a life in solitary, living in his family’s old home. He takes pleasure in an occasional visit from his nurse, Hanaa (
Heba Yousry) or lover, Sanna (
Arwa Gouda). When Hussein’s sister, Nadra (
Lebleba
Ninochka Manoug Kupelian ( ar, نينوتشكا مانوك كوبليان; born November 14, 1946 in Cairo), better known by her stage name Lebleba ( ar, لبلبة, , also Lubluba), is an Egyptian film actress and entertainer. She is the cousin ...
) and great-nephew Seif (
Omar El Ghandour), move in with him, he becomes uncomfortable because he is forced to change his lifestyle. Hussein is now compelled to start thinking about someone other than himself.
Throughout the film, audience sees Hussein struggle with taking medication and having severe reactions to this medication which helps the audience know he is suffering from a deadly illness. Nadra and Seif are there to take care of Hussein by keeping up the house, helping him take medication, offering Hussein company, and keeping a watchful eye on him. Hussein hasn’t been into his office for work (architecture) in over a month, implying his deterioration.
Hussein warms up to Seif and Seif’s friend, Aya (
Sally Abed), because of forced close-encounters. He becomes fond of Seif, his friends, and his garage band, eventually joining in and showing the young-ins “what real music is.” The film ends with a scene of Hussein, Seif, and Aya getting into an old car and driving into the city; revealing Hussein’s change of heart and his coming to terms with his own death.
Cast
*
Khaled Abol Naga as Hussein
*
Lebleba
Ninochka Manoug Kupelian ( ar, نينوتشكا مانوك كوبليان; born November 14, 1946 in Cairo), better known by her stage name Lebleba ( ar, لبلبة, , also Lubluba), is an Egyptian film actress and entertainer. She is the cousin ...
as Nadra
*
Arwa Gouda as Sanaa
*
Omar El Ghandour as Seif
*
Heba Yousry as Hanaa
*
Khairy Beshara
Khairy Beshara ( ar, خيري بشارة ; born June 30, 1947 in Tanta, Egypt) is an Egyptian film director active in the Egyptian film industry since the 1970s. He is considered one of the Egyptian directors who re-defined Realism in Eg ...
as The General
*
Sally Abed as Aya
*
Youssra El Hawary as Ehsan
*
Emad Maher as Hamdy
*
Amgad Riad as Heidar
*
Sedky Sakhr as Salah
Reception
Villa 69 has received a generally warm reception as a film which is complex and watchable, but perhaps too difficult a project for its young director Ayten Amin.
Screen Daily's Mark Adams saw the film as both "impressively nuanced and dynamic," but also lacking consistency and focus.
Thoraia Abou Bakr was generally happy with the performance, especially as the film could serve as a realistic window into Egyptian society for Westerners. She thought that Abol Naga gave a "convincing" performance, but also recognizes that "the first hour seems to stretch out mercilessly."
Jenifer Evans wrote a much harsher critique for
Mada Masr
''Mada Masr'' ( ar, مدى مصر) is an independent Egyptian online newspaper, founded in June 2013 by former journalists of the English-language newspaper ''Egypt Independent'' following the shutting down of its editorial operations in April 20 ...
, describing how the film seemed aimless, and needed "a tough edit."
Soundtrack
https://soundcloud.com/object-obscure/sets/villa-69-soundtrack
Awards
External links
* Full movie on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS0b7ebKk50
* IMDB Listing - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2993434/
* Trailer - https://vimeo.com/77136810
* Soundtrack - https://soundcloud.com/object-obscure/sets/villa-69-soundtrack
References
{{Reflist
Egyptian drama films
2013 films
2013 drama films