Cairo Drive

The film Cairo Drive by director Sherief Elkatsha was very special for multiple reasons. It showed a side to me of Egypt and of Cairo that I had never before seen or thought about, specifically about the spirit of the area and of the people. The film showed the historic events that were the Egyptian insurgencies and illustrated the area from the perspective of the people as a whole rather than simply the activists or protestors like we have seen in other films and read about in other texts for this class leading up to this event. This helped me to be able to relate to the situation on a much more personal level than I was ever able to before, and I think it was a great choice to make for the sake of the film.

Another aspect of the film that I found to be unique was the characteristics of the taxi drivers that were portrayed. The film did a great job of showing how urban the city is as opposed to what some may think initially when picturing it, an also how lively and chaotic it can be. It almost reminded me of urban cities like Los Angeles or New York, where there always seems to be something happening and life seems to be going on at a fast-pace. Never have I put so much thought into the way people drive, and the implications that may have on their city as a whole, let alone their government. The commuter culture was really eye opening for me to be able to witness for myself on screen, and I think that having listened to the director speak to our class beforehand was also an element of this film experience that made it special for me, as well as for my classmates I’m sure.