Café Regular, Cairo (2012)

Directed by: Ritesh Batra | 11 minutes | short film, comedy, drama | Actors: Mai Abozeed, Alaa Ezzat

You would almost forget it between all the political worries, but a revolution is also taking place in Egypt between its own four walls. The relationships between men and women are changing, taboos are being broken. This can be clearly seen in the short film ‘Café Regular Cairo’ (2012) by director Ritesh Batra.

Mai and Alaa, a couple like so many others, meet at a cafe in Cairo. She has just been on a trip and tells him about it. Her sister is getting a divorce, she says. On the train back home she had an enlightening conversation with some foreign tourists, who spoke openly about their bodies and about sex and that got her thinking. Once she brings this up, Alaa gets a little uncomfortable. Mai doesn’t mince words and he feels the looks of the mostly older men who are also in the cafe burning into his back. Especially when she suggests she want to have sex with him (the two aren’t married), to see if they’re a good match.

‘Café Regular Cairo’ offers a fresh look at the male-female relations in modern Egypt and plays with the expectations of the viewer, who is constantly misled. Initially, the relationships are outlined as you would expect in a patriarchal society (bossed men and oppressed women), but soon those expectations are completely turned upside down. This keeps the conversation dynamic and the tone fluctuates from tense to tender. The film was shot in a real cafe in Cairo, with amateur actors who also couple in real life. Like the film itself, they too grow in their roles as the film progresses. ‘Café Regular Cairo’ offers an interesting glimpse into Egyptian culture and shows a side of the revolution that has been neglected in the media.