Movie theater. In “The Eagles of the Republic”, a “pharaoh of the big screen” in dirty sheets

Fahmy leads a westernized, bourgeois and bohemian existence in Cairo. With his children, they debate, in trendy cafes, feature films by Claire Denis, books by Zadie Smith. The man is honest, sentimental. A bit of a coward too, preferring to keep his distance from political reality, convinced that his notoriety protects him from the wrath of Marshal al-Sissi’s regime.

Melancholy

A weakness plays tricks on him. He is an incorrigible seducer, even though he has to, not without embarrassment, obtain Viagra from a pharmacy. One affair too many, with the wife of a powerful minister, places him in a delicate position in the face of power. “Mined ground,” his mistress warns him. An arrangement is offered to him to redeem his reputation. He was “suggested” to agree to play on screen, in a biopic, al-Sissi, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 2013. The actor is stunned. And his self-esteem is piqued: he doesn’t look at all like Sissi, who is not a first prize for beauty. The film looks particularly disastrous. Produced by the Army, “The Will of the People” was written to the glory of the marshal. But the actor no longer has a choice. A messenger makes him understand that if he refuses, his beloved son could have a “car accident”.

The party is over. Carelessness is no longer appropriate. A frightening spiral is set in motion. The totalitarian octopus deploys its tentacles on the poor star, forced to play the game. The story, which begins as a comedy, turns into a thriller, and reveals the dull workings of the Egyptian regime. Blackmail, threats, assassinations, crude propaganda. Abuses often committed without qualms, because the military elite, the “Eagles of the Republic”, are convinced of “protecting the population” from chaos, and of acting for the sustainability of the State.

“This film is unfortunately not a satire,” explains director Tarik Saleh, 53, Swedish of Egyptian origin. He filmed in Türkiye, in Istanbul, and chose a classic, even retro style, wishing to pay homage to the great Egyptian cinema of the 1960s.

After “Cairo Confidential” (2017) and “The Cairo Conspiracy” (2022), he once again explores the recesses of power in Egypt, but this time navigates between different registers. Suspense always, but also humor and melancholy. So much so that it is pleasant to follow the misadventures of the endearing George, despite the darkness of what is described. A regime capable of the most arbitrary terror.