Molasses (film)

Molasses (Arabic: عسل إسود, romanized: Assal Eswed, also released as Bittersweet) is a 2010 Egyptian black comedy film.^[1] The literal translation of the title is "Black Honey", relating to the bitter-sweet feelings that Egyptians feel towards living in their country.

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Molasses
Film poster

Arabic	عسل إسود

Directed by	Khalid Mar'iee
Written by	Khalid Diab
Produced by	Brothers United for Cinema
Starring	Ahmed Helmy Edward Lotfy Labib
Cinematography	Brothers United for Cinema
Music by	Omar Khairat
Production company	Brothers United for Cinema
Distributed by	Rotana Studios
Release date	May 25, 2010 (2010-05-25)
Country	Egypt
Language	Arabic
Budget	£E15.6 Million

It is about a 30 year old Egyptian American named Masry (the word "Masry" means "Egyptian" in Arabic) who desires to get back in touch with his roots and to revive his nostalgic memories of how Egypt used to be. However, he quickly becomes disenchanted upon experiencing first hand the chaos that Egypt has descended into.

Masry Sayed El-Araby (lit. Egyptian Sir The Arab) is an Egyptian American photographer who returns to Egypt after twenty years abroad, having left when he and his family immigrated to America. Although he became a naturalized US citizen during his time abroad, he is returning with only his Egyptian passport.

Upon arrival, he is treated with increased scrutiny by immigration officers, scammed by a taxi driver, and refused service by the hotel which he had previously booked as they were expecting an American passport. He is even arrested for photographing a public place.

He subsequently learns that Egyptian citizens have very few rights and that they live a very tough life where foreigners are often treated with more respect than Egyptians themselves.^[1]

In response, Masry has his United States passport express mailed to his hotel room, and in a fit of rage, decides to throw the Egyptian passport out the window. He returns to the same drivers, chauffeurs and policemen who had previously scammed or mistreated him, and their behavior instantly changes when they all see the passport.

However, he comes across a crowd protesting the US War on Terror. When he identifies himself as a US citizen, the crowd beats him up and he loses his passport, cameras and wallet. This leaves him stranded in the country until he can get all of his documents back. Additionally, the US Embassy in Cairo kicks him out as he cannot prove his identity and does not own valuable property.

He then decides to go back to his father's old apartment and live there.

Masry is reunited with his neighbour and childhood friend Said and his family, where he helps him by fixing up his father's old apartment and inviting him to live with him and his family while it gets repaired. Also, he obtains a taste of the bureaucratic systems involved in obtaining documentation and the bribery needed to register him.

Masry experiences the typical activities that Egyptians endure to get his life in order and to get his American passport back so he can back to the United States. Living with Said, Masry experiences the delights of the Egyptian culture that has been a part of him that has been lacking in his life since he left Egypt in his youth.

To his surprise, he is contacted by the Egyptian National Police stating that someone had dropped off a bag with his identity and his cameras. Masry says goodbye to all of the companions he had met during his stay in Egypt, donating his cameras to his relatives and boarding a plane to leave. During the take-off, he realizes that his stay has changed him. He fakes illness in order for the plane to make an emergency landing, only for the pilot to reject this as he is assumed to be an Egyptian citizen. When the flight attendant sees his American passport, they rapidly change their mind.

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External links

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