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Cairo 678

Play trailer Poster for Cairo 678 2010 1h 40m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Three women search for relief from daily sexual harassment.

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Andrew Schenker Slant Magazine The film devolves into a rousing, cheer-inducing finale that threatens to efface all the carefully considered complexities Diab had taken such pains to articulate. Rated: 2.5/4 Mar 21, 2011 Full Review Tim Brayton Antagony & Ecstasy Whatever missteps it makes along the way can be written off as the mistakes of a filmmaker so driven by his material that he couldn't be bothered to check himself for fear of losing that fire and momentum. Rated: 8/10 Mar 12, 2012 Full Review Simon Foster sbs.com.au Writer/director Mohamed Diab leaves no room for ambiguity in his depiction of modern Cairo. As deconstructed in his flawed but fiery drama Cairo 678, it is a truly awful place for women to live. Jun 3, 2011 Full Review Kent Turner Film-Forward.com A full-fledged two hander, 678 at times verges on turning into a boo-hiss melodrama, but it's the rare film that will elicit cheers within the usually sedate MoMA. Rated: 2/4 Mar 27, 2011 Full Review Norm Schrager Filmcritic.com it's a film defined by its challenging issues and elegant storytelling. Rated: 3.5/5 Mar 24, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (12) audience reviews
Audience Member "An Egyptian Master Piece". Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Mohamed Diab, the director should be congratulated for this gripping presentation of the silent humiliation suffered by Egyptian women and the courage of three women in fighting back against all odds. If Fayza's simple step brings he system to the point of examining its flaws, Seba and Nelly garner the much needed support to provide a platform for the voice of the suffering women. The sound track is excellent and the editing is superb, providing the best support to the clear and commendable cinematography. All the characters have acted so well, it looks as if it is happening in our presence. One of the best films destined to change the perspective of the society in the way it allows such gross injustice to go unpunished. The end is dramatic and deeply touching, adding a feather in the director's cap. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Comme quelques tristes faits divers l'ont rappelé récemment, le harcèlement sexuel des femmes dans la sphère publique s'est imposé comme la huitième plaie d'Egypte dans le pays en question, et l'adoption d'une loi sensée protéger les femmes n'a eu que peu d'impact dans la pratique. C'est après avoir assisté à un procès au cours duquel une des rares femmes ayant eu le courage de porter plainte se voyait renvoyer sa soi-disant responsabilité en pleine figure par le juge, que le réalisateur Mohammed Diab a eu l'idée de cette fiction qui, à travers quelques personnages très différenciés (femme pieuse de condition modeste, grande bourgeoise, jeune artiste éprise de modernité), souligne que le problème n'est pas qu'une affaire de religion ou de condition sociale. Oeuvre visuellement modeste mais dont la narration éclatée vaut bien celle des films d'Alejandro Innãrritu, "Les femmes du bus 678" expose au grand jour le raz-le-bol de ces femmes, attisé par l'immobilité de leurs conjoints et de leurs proches, et décrit les solutions qu'elles trouvent pour faire évoluer les choses, qu'il s'agisse de l'action judiciaire, du militantisme et des groupes de parole ou de l'action directe à l'encontre des harceleurs potentiels. Si les ficelles narratives du film semblent parfois évidentes, il tombe sous le sens à tous que la vocation militante de ce film, qui s'efforce de mettre la société égyptienne face à ses carences, l'emporte largement sur toute considération artistique ou technique. On saluera d'autant plus le courage du réalisateur qu'il se refuse à présenter son sujet comme une simple nuisance occasionnée par quelques prédateurs isolés ; au contraire, il le décrit comme le symptôme le plus apparent de la mentalité qui prédomine dans toutes les couches de la société égyptienne. Même dans la représentation des personnages les plus "positifs" (la belle-famille "éclairée" de la jeune artiste, le flic chargé de l'enquête qui comprend très vite de quoi il retourne mais manifeste un manque de volonté évident à arrêter les coupables), on ressent clairement la lourdeur d'un climat qui reste, dans le meilleur des cas, patriarcal et paternaliste et laisser croire que toute possibilité d'évolution des mentalités passera par un processus de (très) longue haleine. Intéressante mais pas éblouissante en tant que simple fiction, 'Les femmes du bus 678' est plutôt à envisager comme un travail d'utilité publique, qui rappelle que le combat des femmes pour l'égalité et le respect est encore très loin d'être gagné là bas (et à peine plus ici, si on se donner la peine d'élargir le champ d'observation) et offre un tableau précieux, car non monolithique et suffisamment détaché de la grille de lecture occidentale, de la diversité et des courants souterrains qui agitent les société arabes d'aujourd'hui. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Mohamed Diab's first feature length movie was released in Egypt merely weeks before what is now called the "Arab Spring" began in the country. It's clearly a part of a wave of Egyptian movies from that time that took bold liberties in critically addressing issues about the Islamic government, corruption and women's rights. "678" tackles the experiences of the silenced women of the country, and the way the patriarchal system protects itself through shaming. The title refers to a crowded bus line where one of the protagonists experiences repeated sexual harassment. Another protagonist is a young, liberal comedian who decides to be the first woman to oppose the shaming directed at victims and presses charges against a sexual assailant, only to be shunned by family and her community. A third protagonist is a bold woman who is leading a support group for women experiencing sexual harassment, often on a daily basis. The lives of these three women intersect and a mentality of declaring "no more" empowers them to take extreme measures against the masses of men praying on women wherever they go. Diab directs with confidence and talent and manages to get magnificent performances out of his leading trio. The story is surprisingly bold in taking what is happening in the open but in secret an approaching it in a dramatic but completely plausible way. This film moves forward with force and ambition, keeping the viewer completely engaged the whole way through. There are some rather obvious problems with the scrip though. It cuts certain logical corners, and even though the pace is fast, you can't help but notice. Also, the way Diab closes his tale in a cathartic happy ending stretches credibility a tad too far. I'm kind of reminded of the more recent fairytale about oppression, "The Help." "678" ends up being almost as Hollywood-convenienced as that. On the other hand, the empowering message this movie clearly aims to communicate perhaps required such an optimistic closure, and to be honest it works well on an emotional level, even as your logic objects. Perhaps a dose of fairytale is acceptable in a film that doesn't shy away from its bold statements and still manages to address it issues through the grey spectrum, avoiding simplification. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Le pendant à (C)gyptien de "Une Sà (C)paration" Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Un film sur la condition de la femme egyptienne victime d'un harcelement sexuel quasi constant. Un film pas manicheen et bien fait qui laisse songeur.... Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Cairo 678

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Three women search for relief from daily sexual harassment.
Director
Mohamed Diab
Producer
Sarah Goher
Screenwriter
Mohamed Diab
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Arabic
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 23, 2016
Runtime
1h 40m