The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

April is moving fast, packing winter away with it and unfolding spring. Colour blooms and the day stretches out longer. We feel time linger before the darkness of night sweeps it away. The feeling we have around spring is difficult to capture in words, but some films feel exactly like spring! And those are the best to set us in the mood for it! Whether they are bright, light-hearted rom-coms or movies that follow themes of rebirth and new beginnings, they all have this essential spring quality, and we have just the list for that! 

Big Fish (2003)

Big Fish is about many things; the power of storytelling, relationships between fathers and sons, the blurred line between reality and fiction, the desire to leave your parents’ shadow, and first loves are just some of the things this stunning film captures. Director Tim Burton proves as much preciseness and expertise with bright and glowing colours as he does in other gothic-like movies. The film follows a son as he navigates through the life stories of his larger-than-life father, trying to figure out the fact from the fictional. 

Amira My Love (Amira Hobbi Ana, 1974)

Where would we be without the Egyptian anthem for spring, “El Donia Rabee’’? We don’t know, and we’re glad we don’t have to find out! Late Egyptian actress Soad Hosny is a must-have on this list for the perpetual youth-feel we associate with her and for being the voice behind the song we grew up listening to! Amira Hobbi Ana, where the melody originates, is quite a fitting film for spring. From complex love stories to the usage of nature in cinematography and the musical spirit of the film, the film never fails to warm our hearts! The movie follows Amira as she falls in love with her handsome (but married) boss, and how the couple face the many challenges such a narrative comes with.

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

If there’s one rom-com that never gets old and people never grow tired of, it’s You’ve Got Mail. Perfectly set between New York’s blooming gardens, cosy apartments, and small bookstores, it already has the most fitting atmosphere. The film follows two e-pals as they fall in love online, each unaware that the other is the person they hate and fight with daily in real life.  

You Will Die at Twenty (2019)

Don’t protest just yet! The masterpiece Sudanese film might not sound like it, but it’s a perfect film for spring for multiple reasons. The story follows Muzamil, a boy who’s predicted to die at 20 by the village’s holy man, and who lives like he’s dead his whole life, anticipating his death. The film is all about learning how to really live, to appreciate life no matter how short it can be. It’s all about rebirth, seeing how life blooms with a new set of eyes.