Alaa Al Aswany

The lives of residents in an old Cairo building, "The Yacoubian Building," are affected by issues like corruption, extremism, class disparity, and sexuality. Through diverse characters, the film offers a critical examination of Egyptian society.

Garden City, a small district of Cairo, is far from being without importance. In the early 19th century, it was the center of international political affairs in the Egyptian capital. The film takes us on a tour of these abandoned villas, huge reception halls, foreign embassies, endangered businesses and rooftop terraces. The houses become witnesses as they reveal the turmoil of history. These houses and their residents speak with one voice to describe hope, fall and survival. Far from the politically correct, a piece of truth appears, far from the clichés.

The story about the residents of the Yacoubian building and their intertwining lives, including Zaki Al-Dousoky who is in constant conflict with his sister, Dawlat, and Hajj Azzam, who used to be a shoeshiner but became a millionaire thanks to his drug trade.