19B

Fiction, director: Ahmad Abdalla, Egypt, 2022, 95 min., Arab. with En. ST

In a wealthy Cairo neighborhood, an elderly property guard (Sayed Ragab) has spent decades immersed in the routine of his life, finding solace among the ruins and stray animals of the old, abandoned villa he cares for. His peaceful existence is disturbed when a young parking attendant (Ahmad Khaled Saleh) seeks to invade his private space. This intrusion forces the protagonist to confront his isolation and the changing dynamics of Egyptian society that he has shut out for so long. Prompting a journey of self discovery and resilience, the clash leads the guard to redefine his place in both his personal sanctuary and the evolving world around him. 19B premiered in 2023 in the International Cairo Film Festival where it won the Best Arabic Film Award, the Henry Barakat Award, and the FIPRESCI Prize for International Competition.