2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

Egypt witnesses extremely absurd-looking situations, especially in terms of transportation on the streets, yet have become too accustomed to them all to the extent that it has become the norm. The film showcases the journey of a young man leaving his house and reaching the Swvl bus meeting point. He is seen unbothered by all the absurdity in order to highlight the ridicule; from kids riding in the trunk of a car, to a man lifted-up in the sky by a crane, a dressed-up dog on a bike, cows as average passengers, to the ridiculous car-versus-toktok accident. The film follows the journey from the man’s point of view; using every frame’s background and foreground to showcase the chaotic streets, while the music ironically sets a peaceful mood for the man.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

Egyptian streets absurdity is referring to the illogical situations seen on the streets. If you take a walk for 5 mins; and focus on what’s happening around, you will be surprised. Absurdity today is a normal occurrence that goes unnoticed by most; however, some situations are just too ridiculous to not be emphasized. Egyptian’s have found mediums, such as Facebook groups and hashtags “onlyinEgypt” to display and share the absurdity they’ve seen, from the streets to everywhere else. A toktok is an unlicensed 3-wheel rickshaw. It is the main mode of transportation for rural areas and people believe that it is cheap, fast, widespread and always available. Although all of this is true, the toktok can be an extremely dangerous mode of transportation due to its lightweight it easily gets involved in ridiculous accidents.

Tell the jury about the production design / art direction. You may wish to comment on choices, challenges or effects.

The film highlights the absurdity that happens daily on Egyptian streets therefore the choice of location was crucial in making the film look genuine and believable. The amount of work that was needed to recreate Cairo’s Downtown in a parking lot is insane. The location is under Egypt's most famous bridge, passing over the downtown are. It took 100 cars, 8 buses, 130 extras, 12 shops, 19 motorcycles, even 2 cows and a dressed dog to create the absurdity envisioned; a logistical nightmare. Each shot had to perfectly balance the foreground and background remaining as real as possible, and all props, colors, cast and situations had to be authentic and tailored uniquely to Egypt. Every frame is rich with striking patterns and loud colors to compliment the chaotic situations, versus the young man; wearing sensible colors, representing the calm amidst the storm.