Have you ever wondered how seemingly impossible connections are made across cultural divides? Abu Bakr Shawky, the critically acclaimed director of 'Yommedine' and 'Hajjan,' is back with a film that explores just that – a story deeply rooted in his own family history. 'The Stories,' which recently premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) in Estonia, is a cinematic exploration of how his Egyptian father and Austrian mother began their unlikely romance as pen pals. Get ready to be moved by this tale of 'worlds meeting,' as Shawky himself puts it. This premise alone was enough to draw a large crowd eager to explore the director's inspiration and cinematic choices.
Following the success of 'Yommedine,' which was Egypt's submission for the international Oscar, Shawky's new film has generated significant buzz. 'The Stories' delves into the lives of his parents, their families, and friends, showcasing how a simple exchange of letters sparked a connection that defied geographical and cultural boundaries. Shawky and his team have created a tapestry woven with archival footage – snippets of political speeches, soccer matches, and radio broadcasts – intertwined with carefully acted scenes. But here's where it gets interesting: the film isn't just a straightforward narrative. It leaps across time, presenting five distinct stories punctuated by these gaps, allowing the audience to piece together the larger picture. Furthermore, the film features a diverse musical landscape, blending classic Egyptian songs from 1967 to 1984 with classical compositions, enriching the viewing experience and grounding the story in its historical context.
The official synopsis paints a vivid picture: "Egypt. Summer 1967. Ahmed receives a letter from Austria – Liz has replied to his search for a pen pal. They begin a long-distance friendship that is viewed with suspicion by his relatives. From this summer onwards, Ahmed’s efforts to become a pianist despite his humble social background will gain unstoppable momentum, as Liz pushes him towards his elusive goal: a public concert. Together, with this shared dream always in mind, Ahmed and Liz will live through war, family joys, opposition and dramas, failures and triumphs that rocked Egypt until the 1980s.” It's a sweeping story of personal ambition, cultural exchange, and the enduring power of human connection against a backdrop of significant historical events.
The film boasts a stellar cast, led by Amir El-Masry (known for his roles in 'The Crown,' 'Industry,' and 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker') and Valerie Pachner ('Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,' 'Egon Schiele: Death and the Maiden,' and 'A Hidden Life'). Nelly Karim, Ahmed Kamal, and Khaled Mokhtar also contribute to the film's ensemble. Produced by Julie Viez, with Roland Stöttinger as editor and Wolfgang Thaler handling the cinematography, 'The Stories' is in the capable hands of Goodfellas for sales. Shawky, visibly moved, introduced his parents at the premiere, stating, "This film is based on the true story of how my parents got together in the ‘70s…It’s about worlds colliding. It’s about worlds meeting. It’s about little victories in life, and little people trying to do big things.”
During a Q&A session, Shawky elaborated on the inspiration behind the film. He revealed that his family are "great storytellers," but that each retelling of a story becomes "bigger and bigger and bigger, and it becomes more fantastical and much more removed from what actually happened." And this is the part most people miss: the film explores the blurred line between reality and the embellished memories that shape our understanding of the past. Shawky added, "I thought, it’d be a good thing to make a movie about that, because most of what’s happening is fiction, but it’s based on reality, which is how my parents got together when they were writing letters to each other in the ‘70s…all these stories that I would hear over and over and over again, in my mind, they become much more fantastical.” He concluded, "Actually, maybe, in reality, they were much more normal, but this is how I imagined them.” This raises an interesting point: How much does our perception of the past influence our present? And can a fictionalized version of events reveal deeper truths than a strictly factual account?
Pachner humorously admitted to learning a few lines in Arabic for the film but confessed to having forgotten them. El-Masry shared the challenges of learning to play Bach and Rachmaninoff in a short timeframe, highlighting the "magic of cinema" in bringing his performance to life. Shawky's parents also make a cameo appearance in the film. His mother revealed, to the audience's amusement, that she hadn't fully grasped the extent to which their lives would be portrayed on screen. "He said it’s [snippets] about us, but it’s a lot about us,” she said.
Perhaps the most poignant moment came when Shawky’s mother reflected on the film's broader significance. "Each and every character that is in the film, all of these persons, I spent many, many years with in Egypt before we even got married. All these characters, really lived. Most of them have passed away now. And [my son] made a monument to all these very simple people who were always on the losing side of life, but now, actually, there’s a film about them. Thank you for this." This statement underscores the film's power to immortalize ordinary lives and celebrate the resilience of the human spirit. It also touches on a potentially controversial idea: Is it the responsibility of filmmakers to give voice to the marginalized and forgotten? What do you think? Does 'The Stories' sound like a film you'd be interested in seeing? What aspects of the story resonate most with you?
