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:

An adventure of the heart.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements and smoking

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:

$1,995,012

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Aside from her scenes at the tourist resort, Juliette is the only Caucasian woman in the film, a reference to how the men stare at her as she walks through the streets.

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Goofs

In the storyline, they are supposed to be visiting the sphinx/pyramids at dawn. The sun is shown low on the horizon, but clearly in the WEST, so the scene must have been shot at sunset.

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Quotes

Juliette Grant: [Last Lines]
[Silently crying]
Juliette Grant: I'm glad I waited.

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

Alela Msafir
Performed by Sami al-Magrabi
Written by Sudanese traditional, arranged by Ehab Abasaeed
Published by Nasjota Music
Courtesy of Nasjota Records

User Reviews

Loved the pace of the film

Cairo Time is beautifully filmed - like a love poem to Egypt. I adored the slower pace of the movie because it felt like it gave me a chance to breathe, to enjoy the gorgeous scenery, and sink into the feeling of the movie. It was wonderfully nostalgic of many of the things I experienced on a trip to Egypt I took 2 years ago, and I found myself laughing out loud a few times, remembering.

I was also reminded of the allure of Egyptian men - yes, they are very obvious, in-your-face, and verbal to women, which I'm not used to as a Canadian woman. Yet paradoxically, many are very much gentlemen, cordial. I liked seeing this in Tareq's character, as he put Juliette on a pedestal which you really come to feel she deserves.

I also liked how the love story was actually quite innocent and told a story of pure love and appreciation for a fellow human being. It felt like it portrayed exactly those moments of stillness and deep feeling that we only share with select few in our lifetimes. Experiences that we recall with our eyes closed...like secret, subtle moments the heart remembers and cherishes.