By Vlad Zakh · September 9, 2026
Egypt’s studio system once made it the Hollywood of the Arab world, and this second batch runs from Youssef Chahine’s semi-autobiographical epics to comedies that kept local audiences coming back. A Day for Women has a conservative Cairo neighbourhood agreeing to a women-only pool day, 678 has three women fighting back against street harassment, and Nasser 56 has the president deciding whether to nationalise the Suez Canal. Until Things Get Better, El Kit Kat, Microphone, Terrorism and Kebab, Alexandria… Why?, The Land and One-Zero round out the list.
01 A conservative Cairo neighbourhood reluctantly agrees to a women-only day at the local pool.
Directed by Kamla Abu Zekry · 1h 46m
Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
02 Gamal Abdel Nasser spends one tense day deciding whether to nationalise the Suez Canal.
Directed by Mohamed Fadel · 2h 06m
03 Three women, each targeted by street harassment in Cairo, take matters into their own hands.
Directed by Mohamed Diab · 1h 40m
04 A struggling working-class family scrapes by while their daughter chases an unlikely escape.
Directed by Khaled Youssef · 2h 05m
05 A blind man's sharp wit and street wisdom carry him through his rundown Cairo neighbourhood.
Directed by Daoud Abdel Sayed · 2h 10m
06 A returning expat discovers Alexandria's underground music and street-art scene fighting for space to express itself.
Directed by Ahmad Abdalla · 1h 56m
07 A frustrated bureaucrat's accidental hostage standoff makes him an unlikely folk hero.
Directed by Sherif Arafa · 1h 55m
08 A film-obsessed teenager dreams of Hollywood while the Second World War closes in on his Egyptian city.
Directed by Youssef Chahine · 2h 13m · Rated NR
Stream: Criterion Channel
Stream: Criterion Channel
09 Egyptian farmers unite against a landowner determined to seize the water and land they depend on.
Directed by Barry Mahon · 1h 10m · Rated NR
10 A divorced couple's reunion at a football match becomes a real test of what they still owe each other.
Directed by Kamla Abu Zekry · 1h 50m
Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.
