Cairo Time (2009)

A romantic drama about a brief, unexpected love affair that catches two people completely off-guard.

Director:

Ruba Nadda

Writer:

Ruba Nadda

Stars:

Patricia Clarkson, Alexander Siddig, Elena Anaya

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patricia Clarkson	...	Juliette Grant
Alexander Siddig	...	Tareq Khalifa
Elena Anaya	...	Kathryn
Amina Annabi	...	Yasmeen
Tom McCamus	...	Mark
Mona Hala	...	Jameelah
Fadia Nadda	...	Hanan
Mohamed Abdel Fatah	...	Customs Officer (as Mohammed Abdel Fattah)
Hossam Abdulla	...	Porter
Nabil Shazli	...	Manager
Ahmed Ghareeb	...	Propositioning Man
Hanafi Mohamoud El Gazar	...	Shoe Shopkeeper
Roanne Bell	...	Sharon
Andrew Cullen	...	Jim
Katie Sherif	...	Petroleum Wife #1

Storyline

In Cairo on her own as she waits for her husband, Juliette finds herself caught in a whirlwind romance with his friend Tareq, a retired cop. As Tareq escorts Juliette around the city, they find themselves in the middle of a brief affair that catches them both unawares.

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Plot Keywords:

title directed by female | title written by female | american | watching television | bobby pin | 

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Taglines:

Two different countries. Two unique points of view. One undeniable attraction.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements and smoking

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Ruba Nadda was almost arrested by Egyptian police shooting 2nd unit with her DP and 2nd unit crew.

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Goofs

The Everly Brothers' song "('Til) I Kissed You" is heard on the soundtrack when Juliette and Mark ride in the cab towards the end of the film. The song is incorrectly listed as "Then I Kissed Her" in the credits.

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Quotes

Tareq Khalifa: [the two of them are on the train] What are you thinking about?
Juliette Grant: I was thinking what I'd do on my first day living in Cairo.
Tareq Khalifa: And?
Juliette Grant: I'd open a coffee shop for women only.
Tareq Khalifa: [laughs] That's brilliant.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Despicable Me/The Kids Are All Right (2010)

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Soundtracks

Loin Des Villes
Performed by Yann Tiersen
Written by Yann Tiersen (SACEM)
Published by Universal Music / MGB Songs (ASCAP)
Courtesy of EMI Music Canada

User Reviews

Delicate and Sensitive Romance for Mature Audiences

Juliette Grant (Patricia Clarkson) travels from America to Cairo to meet her husband Mark (Tom McCamus), who belongs to the high echelon of UN and is settling refugees in Gaza. On the arrival, Juliette is welcomed by Tareq Khalifa (Alexander Siddig), an Egyptian that had worked with Mark and now is retired.

Mark has a problem in Gaza and can not come to Cairo, and the gentle Tareq invites Juliette to sail in the Nile and visit the pyramids. Juliette learns that she can not walk alone on the streets of Cairo since she is offensively harassed by the male locals, and she sightsees the city with Tareq. The proximity with her husband's friend and his attention to her make Juliette too attracted for Tareq. Will they have a love affair?

"Cairo Time" is a delicate and sensitive romance about companionship evolving to romance for mature audiences. Immediately after watching this pleasant film, I said to myself: this is certainly a film directed by a woman… and I was right. The sensitiveness of the director and author Ruba Nadda is impressive.

"Cairo Time" has magnificent cinematography and locations and the underrated Patricia Clarkson is excellent and with a perfect chemistry with Alexander Siddig. The music score is very beautiful and the conclusion of the affair of Juliette and Tareq is stunning. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Meus Dias no Cairo" ("My Days in Cairo")

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Canada Ireland Egypt

Language:

English Arabic

Release Date:

16 October 2009 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Souvenirs du Caire

Filming Locations:

Pyramid of Khufu, The Great Pyramids, Giza Plateau, Giza, Egypt

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$66,245, 8 August 2010

Gross USA:

$1,603,616

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,477,315

Company Credits

Production Co:

Foundry Films, Samson Films, Astral Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1