Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim

I saw this movie in Dubai international film festival and it's just fascinating. i had high hopes for this movie before i got to watch it but it turned out to be so much better than i thought it would be. everything starting from the screenplay which was very beautifully constructed to be touching and inspiring yet sick hilarious to the brilliant soundtrack which was -like the story- very delightful. also the acting was so excellent that it makes you feel involved in the story. director Sheriff Elbendary just created a beautiful piece of cinema. i loved everything about this film; the originality, the absurdity even the goat. it's definitely a must-see.

Ali the Goat & Ibrahim took me by surprise. It has all the shades of a typical comedy drama and yet by the end of it it feels like having given out a profound message about love and death. The central characters Ali, his goat, and his neighbour Ibrahim set out to travel with the hope of getting away from their mundane life and specific issues (Ali is ridiculed by his mother for being obsessed with his goat while Ibrahim is irritated by a static noise that he keeps hearing everytime). So begins the journey and a sweet little tale of letting go and friendship. Al the Goat & Ibrahim is often funny, sometimes poignant, and rarely boring, and I will not be surprised if Egypt comes up with more feature films. There is also a little undercurrent of politics that director Sherif El Bendary mixes to his peculiar drama and which is another great feature of this short 90-minute film that is so rare to find. I will be looking forward to more from Egypt. TN.

(Watched and reviewed at its India premiere at the 21st MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.)