Two Egyptian films will premiere on 27 May: Ezma and 7 Dogs.
Details are as follows:
Ezma
Director: Islam Abd El Aaty, Mohamed Sadeq
Scriptwriter: Mohamed Sadeq
Starring: Ahmed Dawood, Salma Abu Deif, Hamza Diab
The film's plot is based on a bestselling psychological drama novel titled Idma, written by Mohamed Sadek.
On the eve of his 36th birthday, Issa El-Shawaf finds himself trapped in a stagnant, passionless existence; a predictable world shattered when he receives a cryptic box containing videotapes recorded by his 18-year-old self.
Challenging him to a psychological game called Ezma, this unexpected mirror to his youth forces long-buried secrets to the surface and compels him to reconnect with his childhood best friend, Sera.
Beyond its gripping mystery, Sadek’s narrative serves as a profound psychological commentary on the modern midlife crisis, staging a literal confrontation between a man's past aspirations and his present compromises.
As Issa embarks on a deeply moving journey where memory and reality blur, the story transcends a simple quest for self-discovery to interrogate the heavy toll of societal conformity and the gradual, quiet erosion of personal identity over time.
7 Dogs
Director: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah
Scriptwriter: Mohamed El-Dabah, Turki Al Alshikh
Starring: Karim Abdul Aziz, Ahmed Ezz, Monica Bellucci
This action epic's title refers to a covert, multi-headed global crime syndicate whose reach spans multiple continents.
Structurally, the syndicate operates less like a traditional monolithic mafia and more like a high-tech, decentralized corporate alliance. Its supreme leadership consists of regional kingpins, with each "dog" controlling a vital quadrant of the global black market, bringing their own infrastructure, localized power, and specialized illicit networks to the table.
The organization's ultimate play for dominance hinges on the creation and rapid distribution of Pink Lady, a highly addictive, devastatingly potent new synthetic drug designed to flood and destabilize the Middle Eastern market. Because the syndicate distributes this narcotic simultaneously across continents, it stays one step ahead of fragmented local police forces, forcing a globalized Interpol response led by Khalid Al-Azzazi.
The inner circle of 7 Dogs is a formidable panel of international masterminds, including Monica Bellucci's high-society European logitician, Max Huang's lethal Asian enforcer, Sanjay Dutt's calculating Indian manufacturing boss, and Karim Abdel Aziz's captured Middle Eastern informant, who collectively anchor a vast, interconnected network that spans global borders.
Assad
Additionally, cinemas will continue to screen Assad, starring Mohamed Ramadan, which was released on 14 May.
In Assad, Ramadan portrays Ali ibn Muhammad, who led the Zanj Rebellion, a major revolt against the Abbasid Caliphate (from 869 to 883).
Directed and co-written by Mohamed Diab, the film features 70 actors, including 12 major stars and special guests from Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, and Sudan. It also includes 50 supporting actors, some in single yet pivotal scenes.
Besides Ramadan, the main cast includes Razane Jammal, Kamel El-Basha, Aly Kassem, Maged El-Kedwany, Rakeen Saad, and Islam Mubarak.
From the international scene, movie theatres will be screening three titles released on 21 May:
- Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, starring Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White,
Sigourney Weaver
- Obsession, starring Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson
- The Drama, starring Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, and Alana Haim
They will be topped with a new release: Backrooms. Directed by Kane Parsons, this horror film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, and Mark Duplass.
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