What to Watch in North Africa This Month

‘Voy! Voy! Voy!’ (Egypt)

Hassan, played by Mohamed Farrag, is a poor Egyptian security guard who wants out of his intolerable life in Egypt. He realizes his dream of migrating to Europe by pretending to be blind and joining a team for visually impaired football players bound for Poland. Voy! Voy! Voy!, which refers to the Spanish word for “I’m here,” used by players to signal their position, is a hilarious comedy based on a true story. The film, written and directed by Omar Hilal, was a box-office hit in Egypt and the country’s submission for 2024 Oscars consideration.

Where to watch: Shahid.

‘MADANIYA’ (Sudan)

Mohamed Subahi’s debut documentary MADANIYA follows the journey of Django, Esra and Mou'men, three young Sudanese participants of the 2019 December Revolution. Each contributes to the resistance through different means and tools, and in their respective communities, as they work towards one common goal MADANIYA — civilian government. The documentary is set to premiere at Sheffield International Documentary Festival June 13 and will be available to watch through the festival’s website for approximately three weeks after, with exact dates to be announced.

‘122’ (Egypt)

Directed by Yasir Al-Yasiri and written by Salah El Gehiny, 122 takes place on a "bloody night in a place where we are supposed to feel safe." Calling 122 in Egypt is the equivalent of calling 911 in the U.S. In this psychological horror film, calling 122 does not lead Nasr (Ahmed Dawood) and Umnia (Amina Khalil), a couple whose secrets end in trouble, to safety. The film was a box-office hit when it was first released in Egyptian theaters in 2019.

Where to watch: Netflix.

‘Déserts’ (Morocco)

In this roadmovie by Moroccan director and actor Faouzi Bensaïdi, petty crooks Mehdi Attaf and Hamid Dergoune, played by Fehd Benchemsi and Abdelhadi Taleb, travel from village to village in remote southern Moroccan provinces to collect loans on behalf of an agency. Their usual day takes a turn when they meet a highwayman cuffed on a motorbike at a petrol station. Déserts premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes in 2023.

Where to watch: Theaters across Morocco from mid-June

‘The Last Round’ (Egypt)

Post-divorce and diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, retired underground fighter and failed doctor Yehya seizes an unexpected chance to pursue his dream of becoming a professional fighter. In this eight-episode dramedy series, Yehya embarks on a journey preparing for a final fight while struggling with memory loss and a demanding career. Directed by Mariam Ahmady, and written by Mohamed Nada and Mohamed Al Shakhabi, Last Round features a star-studded cast led by Ahmad El Sakka, the first Egyptian and Arab actor to star in a Prime Video original.

Where to watch: Prime Video.

‘Welad Rizk 3: El Kadia’ (Sons of Rizk: The Knockout) (Egypt)

In the third installment of this action comedy, the four brothers Rizk, played by Ahmed Ezz, Asser Yassin, Ahmad El Fishawy, and Amr Youssef, are forced to return to their life of crime and theft, even though they vowed to stop. Directed by Tarek Alarian and written by Salah El Gehiny, in this sequel, a deal unravels and one of the younger brothers makes a risky deal with a notorious criminal overlord.

Where to watch: Egyptian theaters from June 12.

‘Flight 404’ (Egypt)

In the Egyptian thriller Flight 404, Mona Zaki stars as Ghada who is about to board a flight to do Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to the holy site of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. On her journey to atone for past sins, she is faced with a sudden emergency and requires a large sum of money which she can only get if she reconnects with people that she has long distanced herself from. Directed by Hani Khalifa and written by Mohamed Ragaa, Flight 404 broke Egypt’s box office record for a female-led film and had a small, but significant rollout in the U.S. and Europe.

Where to watch: Selected theaters in Europe and the U.S., and streaming on Shahid soon.

‘Moftaraq Toroq’ (Crossroads) (Tunisia/Egypt)

In the long-anticipated Arabic adaptation of the 2009 CBS series, The Good Wife, Tunisian Egyptian actress Hend Sabry stars as Amira, a woman who is forced to return to the workforce to provide for her children after spending 15 years as a stay-at-home mom. In 45 episodes directed by Ahmed Khaled Moussa, the series sees Amira returning to her career in law to defend her renowned husband against sexual misconduct allegations. While The Good Wife is about a woman who returns to the legal profession when her politician husband goes to jail after a highly publicized sex scandal, the storyline in Moftaraq Toroq has been tailored to an Arabic cultural context and focuses on Amira’s unwavering resilience.

Where to watch: Shahid.

‘Behind the Mountains’ (Tunisia)

Rafik, played by Majd Mastoura, is a desperate man. Released from a Tunisian prison, where he served four years for vandalizing his workplace, he is now convinced he can fly and is determined, in the face of his family skepticism, to prove to his young son Yassine that his vision is real. Taking the boy out of school and heading to the mountains, where he finds temporary refuge by invading a bourgeois family’s country house, Rafik is clearly mentally unwell. Written and directed by Mohamed Ben Attia, this supernatural drama premiered at the Horizons section of the 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival.

Where to watch: Behind the Mountains will be screened on June 26 as part of Zawya Cinema’s Cairo Cinema Days.