PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Amir Ramses, director of the film Curfew.
A conversation with Amir Ramses, director of Curfew, presented at the 2020 Cairo International Film Festival. Ramses is also the artistic director of another major Egyptian international film festival in El Gouna. His new film, Curfew, explores a troubled mother-daughter relationship within the course of one night in 2013. In doing so, he also challenges some of the taboos of Egyptian society. In this interview, Ramses talks about his interest in challenging these taboos. He also talks about the making of the film, including the challenges of working within a restricted narrative period of time and the interesting way in which he achieved the chemistry between his two leading actresses that was required.
Curfew: On the morning of one day of 2013, a mother is released from jail after years of imprisonment. In just 24 hours, the curfew imposed on the whole country gives her a rare opportunity to break free from the shackles of her mysterious past. Director Amir Ramsis decides in his new film to give his favorite character, Yahya Shukri Murad, which is inspired by veteran director Youssef Chahine, a perfect ending. The character can be considered a silent witness to deterioration inflicted on the family. He embarks on a thorny adventure to reconcile with the past.