Director
Maher Sabry
Cast list
Rami: Mazen
Waleed: Ayman
Dalia: Jwana
Ate: Maged
Mina: Mehammed Amadeus
Ahmad: Julian Gonzalez Esparza
Karim: Louay
Hatem: Bassam Kassab
Amar: Amar Puri
Mark: Christopher White
Ashraf: Youssef ef-Shareif
TV Actor: Hesham el-Tahawi
Tv Actress One: Naglaa Younis
TV Actress Two: Seham Adelsalam
Mina’s Mother: Nabila Mango
Rami’s Coworker One: Jamal Mavrikios
Baladi Dancer: Hala Fauzi
Nurse Safaa / Opera Singer: Sarah Enany
Nurse Latifa: Janaan Attia
Khadra: Ledad
Troupe Dancer 1: Nayla Moujahes
Troupe Dancer 2: Sarah Flores
Mostafa Police Officer: Mykha Ram
Al the Sex Tourist: Travis Creston
Hany: Munir Bayyari
Policeman: Ayman Kozma
Rami’s Coworker Two: Monica Berini
Rami’s Voice: Ashraf Sewailam
Credits
Screenplay: Maher Sabry
Coproducers: Maher Sabry, Bassam Kassab, Sarah Mohammad, Jwana
Cinematography & Editing: Maher Sabry
“Toul Omri” (Title Song) by Ashraf Sewailam
- Composed by Ilyas Iliya
- Lyrics by Maher Sabry
“Toul Omri” (Instrumental) by Ilyas Iliya
“Natartak” by Ilyas Iliya
“Ahmad’s Scrub” by Ilyas Iliya
“Mina’s Hymn” by Ilyas Iliya
Post-Production Mix: Ashley Moore
“Ach, ich fühl’s, es ist verschwunden” from The Magic Flute
- Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Libretto by Emanuel Schikanedar
- Performed by Sarah Enany and Delta Music Ensemble
“Piano Sonata No. 14,” “Quasi una fantasia,” “Moonlight Sonata” performed by Ahmed el-Khereti
“Consolation No. 3 in D Flat”
- Composed by Franz Liszt
- Performed by Ahmed el-Khereti
“Mesmer and Taqaseem Tabla” performed by Hassan el-Alaty
Special Thanks: Aladdin S. Atassi, Anne W. Sweeney, Dr. Asa DeMatteo, Dr. Thomas J. Brady, Bita Elisafan Shooshani, Elie Kassab, Eric Dobson, Habib el-Debb, Dr. Hasan Abd Essamad, Heba, Hisham Abdelalim, Jack Fertig, Joey Cain, Jonathan Burnham, Laura Fahre, Liam Supple, Mary Salome, Michael Damico, Michael S. Mayer, Roger Waltzman, Mike Karim, Nicole and Muna, Nicole F. Arago, Nicole Orton, Nora Habafy, Omar and Nick, Parvez Sharma, Paul Allenby, Sam Avrett, D. Scott Guthridge, Sherif, Sherry Cronin, Thomas Malcolm, William Bakker
Thanks To: Southwest Asian & North African Bay Area Queers, al-Fatiha Foundation, Helem, Club La Zeez, Hala Dance Company, Medjool Restaurant & Lounge, City College San Francisco, Lidia A. Szajko, Denise N. Bostrom, Maureen Brownsey, Caroline M. Blair, John C. Aliano, Ira M. Rothstein, Daniel Olmsted, David Lawre Brown, Toney Wes Merritt
Produced by Egyptian Underground Film Society & Maraia Film
Synopsis
All My Life follows gay dance student and accountant Rami as he navigates 2001 Cairo amidst the Cairo 52 arrestsm during which a gay nightclub was shut down and 52 gay men were arrested, tortured in prison, and vilified by the media in a very public scandal. Based on real events from the director's life, the film focuses on Rami and his relationships with lovers, friends, and neighbors. Framed by the conflict between contemporary gender and sexuality and the traditional religious and social cultures of Egypt, Rami and his peers struggle to communicate with one another and with themselves. Rami leads separate personal and professional lives, struggling to reconcile his gay identity as many of his peers face violence and persecution. He risks love and friendships in the name of safety and security, but in the end it seems it may not be enough. Imbued with dance and dream sequences, the film uses music and corporeality to explore the tensions of tradition and contemporaneity. All My Life earned the Audience Award in the Narrative Feature category at the Face à Face film festival, which promotes positive attitudes towards homosexuality through art and culture.
Reviews
“Cinéma Égyptien Undergroud: All My Life Est Le Premier Film Gay Égyptien.” Gay Kosmopol, luclebelge.skynetblogs.be/archive/2009/09/04/cinema-egyptien-undergroud-all-my-life-est-le-premier-film-g.html.
Hassan, Omar. “Interview: Arabic Filmmaker Maher Sabry.” PinkNews, 28 Apr. 2009, www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/04/28/interview-arabic-filmmaker-maher-sabry/.
Soliman, Mustafa. “In Fatwa against Movie Filmed in Cairo-San Francisco, Religious Authorities Call for All My Life to Be Burned .” Maraia Film, www.maraiafilm.com/eufs/fatwa.html.
Entry by Geneva Gleason