All My Life (طول عمري) (Egypt: 2008)

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

Other movies from Egypt made in

Title Country Year Director More infos
All My Life (طول عمري) Egypt 2008 Maher Sabry
Behind the Rainbow Egypt 2008 Jihan El-Tahri
Sorry, there's no movie with the same year.