Yehia is a young physician who has to retire early as he suffers from stuttering, a condition that keeps jeopardising his professionalism and gain him mockery from his colleagues and patients alike.
When his parents die, he refuses to immigrate with his brother abroad and moves to their old apartment in Alexandria where he’d spent his childhood and adolescent years.
But the Alexandria he’d known had changed drastically and he could barely recognise it. He takes up fishing to create some income for himself and one day finds a message in a bottle written in a language that he’d never seen before. Yehia’s quest to decipher the message takes him in an adventure where he meets different characters who teach him the real meaning of love and friendship.
This is a short synopsis of the Egyptian movie: Messages from the Sea written and directed by Dawood Abdul-Sayyid (2010). Although the story is simple at surface, yet it’s deeper for Arabs who are familiar with the historical and socio-economical changes that Alexandria went through in modern history, from being a multi-cultural hub that attracted expats from all over the world (many eventually left after the nationalisation of the Suez canal by president Jamal Abdul-Nasser in 1956) to being occupied by the nouveau riche (the image of public statues representing different historical figures covered in carpets shortly after the victory of president Mursi is something that would be forever seared in my mind).
Abdul-Sayyid takes you by the hand to give you a quick tour to the city, known to us as the Bride of the Mediterranean. Its uniqueness stems from the fact that many civilisations had passed through it from Greeks to Romans and from Coptic to Islamic. These epochs are easily spotted within the city in the form of historical buildings and sites.
In the movie, the reminiscence of the rich multiculturism that the city once took pride of is represented by Yehia’s Italian neighbours who lived all their lives there and are threatened by the new occupants who view them as intruders. The representation of the destructive force that threatens the city as a whole takes shape of the new business man Hajj Hashim whose only concern is the financial gains from demolishing historical buildings and turning them into new complexes with shopping malls.
His damaging effect reaches the sea where his fishing boats use dynamite to fish. And that’s where the last scene is artistically shot, leaving the viewer with the distinctive contrast that paints all modern societies.
The thing I enjoyed best in the movie is the still shots exquisitely executed like modern classical paintings. The performance of the lead actors is impeccable. Asir Yaseen perfects the role of stuttering Yehia whose stammer almost vanishes by the end of the movie.
Not to mention the versatility of Salah Abdullah playing Hajj Hashim who keeps fluctuating from being fair and faithful to a mere greedy businessman who uses thugs to threaten the occupants of his building.
Also, the music conducted by Rajih Dawood could be described as classical music with an oriental touch, with the haunting sound of the marimba that remains with the viewers after watching the movie.
The movie was selected as the Egyptian entry for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards. Asir Yaseen won Best Actor award in Carthage Film Festival in 2010. Messages from the Sea is a feel-good movie with a romantic twist that combines genuine plot, likable characters and unforgettable scenes. Recommended for foreign film fans and available on Netflix. Happy New Year!
Rasha al Raisi is a certified skills trainer and the author of: The World According to Bahja. rashabooks@yahoo.com
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