Institute of Contemporary Arts

Safar: The Yacoubian Building + Director Q+A

An eye-catching construction, the Yacoubian Building in Cairo was long regarded as the last word in comfort and elegance. Nowadays, the veneer has cracked and the shine has dulled to reveal the truth underneath the façade. Through the interwoven stories of a number of the residents, the film paints a portrait of corruption, fundamentalism, prostitution, homosexuality, and drugs in central Cairo and creates a vibrant but socially critical picture of contemporary Egypt. As polemical as it is nuanced, The Yacoubian Building was penned by leading Egyptian literary figure Alaa Al Aswany and adapted for the screen by director Marwan Hamed from a script by his father, Wahid Hamed. The film features an all-star cast which includes Adel Imam, Yousra, and Nour El-Sherif. At the time of its production, The Yacoubian Building was the most expensive Arab-Egyptian film ever made, and broke box office records on its release.

There will be a post screening Q&A with director Marwan Hamed.

Dir. Marwan Hamed, Egypt, 2006, 161 mins, cert 15

Multibuy offer
Book three or more tickets for different screenings for £8 each.

Our cinema programme is frequently updated with new screenings, so please check our listings regularly.

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