The Traveller (2009 film)
Encyclopedia
The Traveller is an Egyptian
Film directed by Ahmed Maher
The story takes place in the course of three days of the life of Hassan, the octogenarian protagonist, played by Khaled El Nabawy
as the young Hassan and Omar Sharif
as the older Hassan. The three days of Hassan's life represents key events in modern Egyptian history: the first is the Nakba in 1948, the second is the 6th of October War
in 1973, and the third is 9/11 in 2001.
actors including Omar Sharif
, Khaled El Nabawy
, Amr Waked
, Cyrine Abdelnour
, Sherif Ramzy, Basma Hassan and Alaa Morsy
, Hassan's first day at work when he receives a telegram and decides to meet the beautiful and thrill-loving Nura by impersonating her long-distant fiance. Hassan manages both to reach the cruise ship on which she is travelling and to charm her, until he impatiently rapes her and then accidentally sets the ship on fire. Second Day. Autumn 1973. Alexandria
of Egypt. Hassan is in the city to meet Nadia, Nura's daughter, who is mourning her brother who has just died in a seaside accident. Hassan soon comes to believe he is Nadia's father, and helps engineer her marriage to a halfwit hanger-on. Third Day. Autumn 2001, Cairo
. Hassan meets Alì, Nadia's son where he observes numerous similarities with the young man.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
Film directed by Ahmed Maher
Ahmad Maher (director)
Ahmad Maher is an Egyptian film director. His directorial debut The Traveller competed for the Golden Lion at the 66th Venice International Film Festival. It was also screened in the Special Presentations section at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.-External links:...
The story takes place in the course of three days of the life of Hassan, the octogenarian protagonist, played by Khaled El Nabawy
Khaled El Nabawy
Khaled Muhammad El Nabawy is an Egyptian actor having played roles in film, theater and television.He was born in El Mansoura, Egypt, and was introduced to cinema by the director Youssef Chahine in 1994, in his film The Emigrant...
as the young Hassan and Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
as the older Hassan. The three days of Hassan's life represents key events in modern Egyptian history: the first is the Nakba in 1948, the second is the 6th of October War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
in 1973, and the third is 9/11 in 2001.
Cast
The characters of the film were portrayed by famous Egyptian and LebaneseLebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
actors including Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
, Khaled El Nabawy
Khaled El Nabawy
Khaled Muhammad El Nabawy is an Egyptian actor having played roles in film, theater and television.He was born in El Mansoura, Egypt, and was introduced to cinema by the director Youssef Chahine in 1994, in his film The Emigrant...
, Amr Waked
Amr Waked
Amr Waked is an Egyptian film, television, and stage actor, known for his roles portraying Middle Eastern and Mediterranean characters. He is best known to international audiences and in Hollywood as the terrorist leader in the 2005 film Syriana...
, Cyrine Abdelnour
Cyrine Abdelnour
Cyrine Abdelnour is a Lebanese singer, actress, and model.Her first album, Leila Min Layali, was released in 2004. She released her second album, Aleik Ayouni in 2006, with debut single Law Bas Fe Aini becoming one of the most popular Lebanese songs of 2006. Abdelnour has also starred in Arabic...
, Sherif Ramzy, Basma Hassan and Alaa Morsy
Plot summary
Three crucial days in a Hassan's life. First day. Autumn 1948, Port SaidPort Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
, Hassan's first day at work when he receives a telegram and decides to meet the beautiful and thrill-loving Nura by impersonating her long-distant fiance. Hassan manages both to reach the cruise ship on which she is travelling and to charm her, until he impatiently rapes her and then accidentally sets the ship on fire. Second Day. Autumn 1973. Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
of Egypt. Hassan is in the city to meet Nadia, Nura's daughter, who is mourning her brother who has just died in a seaside accident. Hassan soon comes to believe he is Nadia's father, and helps engineer her marriage to a halfwit hanger-on. Third Day. Autumn 2001, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. Hassan meets Alì, Nadia's son where he observes numerous similarities with the young man.