Nestled along downtown cairos busy talat haarb street, the yacoubian building is easy to miss. Loosely based on a highly popular novel by egyptian writer alaa al aswani, this film portrays episodes in the lives of the people who live here. The movie version of the controversial book the yacoubian building premiered this week in cairo. Following that lead, the yacoubian building is filled with sexual harassment, promiscuity, homosexuality, and even pedophilia, all described in graphic detail. The pace can be slack, but this movie will slowly draw you in. Necessity the yacoubian building by alaa alaswany is a novel set in a tenstory building located in downtown cairo around 1934. The first edition of the novel was published in 2002, and was written by alaa al aswany. The yacoubian building distinguishes itself both as the most expensive egyptian film ever made and, despite its nearly threehour running time, one of the most watchable. Monica film center santa monica monica film center santa monica. Rent the yacoubian building 2006 starring adel imam and nour elsherif on dvd and bluray. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 256 pages and is available in paperback format. The acting is excellent, i bought this dvd because. Dec 14, 2007 for those coming into the film cold, opportunities for tightening seem obvious, and hameds learning curve as a director shows in every inefficiently constructed scene.
The oncechic, now rundown, building serves as a metaphor for cairos own deterioration particularly in the 2003 arabic language novel the yacoubian building by alaa al aswany. Imarat yaqubyan is a novel by egyptian author alaaalaswany. Alaa elaswany, who is a dentist, does not shy away from weaving sordid tales of political corruption, sexuality and torture in his story. The yacoubian building is adapted from a novel of the same name by alaa al aswany, which took the arab world by storm upon release in 2002. This tenstory structure, i found, has a lot to say. Based on the book, an awardwinning film was made in 2006 also entitled the yacoubian building directed by marwan hamed. This dvd is about eyecatching yacoubian building in cairo which was long regarded as the last word in comfort and elegance. Feb 12, 2006 the yacoubian building a sprawling, starstudded epic that spans all social classes in todays cairo, the yacoubian building distinguishes itself both as the most expensive egyptian film ever. Among the contemporary residents of the yacoubian building is. The film expresses all these elements through the lives of those who reside in the yacoubian building, representing segments within the egyptian society. It is only recently that arab film and literature have started to approach the subject of sex with unflinching openness. The yacoubian building distinguishes itself both as the most expensive egyptian film ever made and, despite its nearly threehour running time. If i was to offer a criticism of this movie it would probably be that it tries to cover too much and that the film would translate better into a miniseries to give us more. The yacoubian building is entertaining and does offer a good overview of contemporary cairo life, but with its many stories and its simplifications can feel more like it skims the surface than truly explores the many hidden depths even as it shares so many intimacies.
Excellent in every respect, the yacoubian building reveals a depth of commitment to great cinema alive in troubled egypt. It has been reported to be the highestbudgeted film in the history of egyptian cinema. The yacoubian building a sprawling, starstudded epic that spans all social classes in todays cairo, the yacoubian building distinguishes itself both as the most expensive egyptian film ever. The film is an artistic black drama which is full of cultural and political symbolism if you read carefully between the lines, my interpretation is that the building is a. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany translated by humphrey daviesharper perennial, 2006, 255 pp.
Alaa alaswanys novel the yacoubian building 2002, arabic tells the story of a group of people loosely bound together by dint of living in the same crumbling building a real place in downtown cairo. The yacoubian building was a best seller in egypt, and this summer a feature film based on the novel opened there to popular and critical acclaim although members of. Built to rival the stately victorian apartment buildings of paris and. In this interview, screenwriter wahid hamed talks about the legal proceedings threatening the film, its sex scenes, and freedom of opinion in egypt. Apr 27, 2006 based on the novel by the same title, the author dr. The yacoubian building is a film directed by marwan hamed with adel imam, nour elsherif, youssra, essad youniss, year. Erected in the mid 1930s in cairos newly europeanized centre, the building is an architectural jewel, and was then the home of a multitude of. Most films made from a book are less than impressive, but this one is true to the book in spirit and in fact. Newhall under construction newhall under construction. The acting and direction are galvanized behind a magnificent story of humanity and observation, the like of which we rarely see in one picture.
The yacoubian building in cairo, built in 1934 and named after the leader of the armenian community, was long regarded as the last word in comfort and elegance. The yacoubian building by alaa alaswany 2006 not even past. The yacoubian building is the sort of dense neighbourhood novel which, though quite out of style when set in london or. A surer hand could have shaped this epic into a far more powerful cinematic experience. If the film has a singular triumph, it is adel imams miraculous performance as the initially unsympathetic central character, the ageing roue. Most of the action also takes place in this apartment.
Rent the yacoubian building 2006 on dvd and bluray. The yacoubian building is one of cairos most famous pieces of architecture. Among the contemporary residents of the yacoubian building is haj azzam, a strictly religious, self. At first i thought it was going to be a boring movie, with some vulgarities. In their stead, a new breed of cairenes has moved in.
Feb 12, 2011 the taboo subjects the yacoubian building touches made the film a sensation inside egypt. The yacoubian building is an egyptian film based on the novel of the same title by author alaa al aswany. The apartment serves both as a metaphor for modern egypt and a central location in which most of the main characters either reside or work. The director depicted the deterioration of classes to be reflected in the building itself, and by that, he allowed the film to bring more cohesion to the snapchat of postrevolutionary egypt in his film by the diverse narratives.
The yacoubian building omaret yakobean 2006 rotten. Malaak as ahmed bedeir hind sabri retrieved from s. Mar 06, 2016 alaa al aswanys the yacoubian building 2002, which became a bestselling egyptian and arab novel worldwide in the past decade, owes its title to the ambition of an armenian millionaire who wanted immortality through a building that bears his name. Pdf the yacoubian building book by alaa al aswany free.
The yacoubian building is the sort of dense neighbourhood novel which, though quite out of. A great film to watch if you want to understand some general dilemmas that egypt faced around the time of the first gulf war as well as today as seen through the yacoubian building, which is a metaphor for cairos contemporary history. The yacoubian building, adapted by firsttime director marwan hamed from alaa al aswanys bestselling novel and one of the most expensive and ambitious egyptian films ever made. It has been reported to be the highestbudgeted film. The yacoubian building 2002 is a multinarrative, literally adaptation film were a panoramic vision of recent egypt is depicted. It is also only as of late that authors and filmmakers have begun. Built in 1934 and named after the leader of the armenian community, it was long regarded as the last word in comfort and. The french and greek structures of the building itself describes westernized egyptian culture, almost attempting to become one with the nations who have colonized them, renouncing traditional egyptian styled architecture and traditions. Erected in the mid 1930s in cairos newly europeanized centre, the building is an.
The controversial, bestselling egyptian novel the yacoubian building describes a country that is corrupt, unfair and thuggish. The yacoubian building omaret yakobean 2006 rotten tomatoes. Based on a highly popular novel by egyptian writer alaa al aswani, this film portrays episodes in the lives of the people who live here. The yacoubian building by alaa alaswany 2006 not even. A 70yearold building in cairo acts as a microcosm of modern egypt. The apartment building exhibits the areas standard mixture of residential and commercial, its doorway plastered with signs and its first floor nothing but a row of typical and unremarkable small shops. Aug 08, 2015 the yacoubian building illustrates these two points in several ways. The eponymous building is an art deco apartment block, and all egyptian life from. The taboo subjects the yacoubian building touches made the film a sensation inside egypt. This controversial bestselling novel in the arab world re. The building doesnt talk, of course, but it shelters the many people whose lives the book recounts.
The yacoubian building is a novel by egyptian author alaaalaswany. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany 1684 words 123. Aug 27, 2006 the yacoubian building was a best seller in egypt, and this summer a feature film based on the novel opened there to popular and critical acclaim although members of the egyptian parliament. Zineb bellamine is currently reading it sep 08, perhaps she feels too defiled to be worthy of immeubpe so innocent and decent as taha, and she seems hardened a reader has pointed out that she is much poorer in the book than here. The book was made into a film of the same name in 2006 and into a tv series in 2007.
But in the yacoubian building, an apartment complex on a downtown street tells the story of a whole nation. For those coming into the film cold, opportunities for tightening seem obvious, and hameds learning curve as a director shows in every inefficiently constructed scene. It has been years since an egyptian film aroused as wideranging public interest as the yacoubian building. The book focuses mainly on the residents of the yacoubian building, a oncechic but now rundown edifice that acts as a metaphor for cairos own deterioration. It follows the stories of several characters who live in the yacoubian building, a onceluxurious building that houses rich residents inside and a shanty town on its roof, creating a clear divide between the buildings rich and poor. Apr 28, 2018 the yacoubian building 2002 is a multinarrative, literally adaptation film were a panoramic vision of recent egypt is depicted. It follows the stories of several characters who live in the yacoubian building, a onceluxurious building that houses rich residents inside and a shanty town on its roof, creating a clear divide between the building s rich and poor. The book was made into a film of the same name in 2006 and into a tv series in 2007 published in arabic in 2002 and in an english translation in 2004, the book, ostensibly set in 1990 at about the time of the first gulf war, is a roman a clef and scathing. The following is a short essay i wrote about the yacoubian building for an undergraduate history course. In yacoubian building, a richly layered tale of life in. Director marwan hamed right, 27, on the set of the yacoubian building.
The yacoubian building in cairo is still an eyecatching construction. The yacoubian building of the title is a microcosm of much of cairo, and in telling the stories of various of its denizens alaa al aswany offers a colourful picture of contemporary egypt. Nowadays the veneer has cracked and the shine has dulled to reveal the truth underneath the fa ade. Adel emam, nour elsherif, hend sabri aramic movie the yacoubian building online, director marwan hamed.
For the eponymous film, see the yacoubian building film. Moving along with the film i began to see issues that have never been seen in the egypt. Apr 26, 2019 for the eponymous film, see the yacoubian building film. Built in 1934 and named after the leader of the armenian community, it was long regarded as the last word in comfort and elegance. With adel emam, nour elsherif, youssra, essad youniss.
The yacoubian building is set in cairo around 1990, the time of the gulf war. Through interwoven stories of a number of the residents, the film paints a portrait of corruption, fundamentalism, prostitution, homosexuality, and. The yacoubian building tribeca thursday pictures cbs news. The yacoubian building is adapted from a novel of the same name by alaa al aswany, which took the arab world by storm upon release in. Alaa al aswanys the yacoubian building 2002, which became a bestselling egyptian and arab novel worldwide in the past decade, owes its title to the ambition of an armenian millionaire who wanted immortality through a building that bears his name. But even as it stands, the yacoubian building is rich and imposing. I read the book by the same title and was so impressed that i bought it. Yacoubian building film analysis 1848 words essay example. The director depicted the deterioration of classes to be reflected in the building itself, and by that, he allowed the film to bring more cohesion to the snapchat of postrevolutionary egypt in his film by the diverse narratives of its inhabitants. Meditations on corruption, fundamentalism, prostitution, homosexuality, and drugs in.
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