Isharit Murur won second prize at the last film festival in Cairo (a festival where all Egyptian films have their premières) and may be the only film from Egypt that makes an attempt to tackle the problems of Egyptian young people. In the centre of Cairo, on Talaat Harb Square, the traffic light turns red (‘Isharit Murur’ means ‘traffic light’) and the cars grind to a halt for two hours. The reason: an official procession is passing. Meanwhile unexpected things happen: love blossoms between Ri’ou – house-painter and dedicated soccer fan – and Somaia, a nun who likes singing. Niemat has a child and Ali Zaza, a businessman, loses an important deal. Among the many other stories, there is one of a wife who betrays her husband, an elderly woman who falls ill, a girl who wants to get married, with any boy who comes along. A terrorist attack is also an element of this variegated film. Isharit Murur is a quest for stories about people and places, through a real and symbolic traffic situation.
