Educational Media Reviews Online

Adapted from Nobel Prize Laureate Naguib Mahfouz’s novel of the same name, Adrift on the Nile is set on the eve of Egypt’s 1967 War. Anis is a clerk hovering on the brink of madness; he’s also a full-fledged drug addict. A chance encounter with an old acquaintance, Ragab, now a successful movie star, brings him to Ragab’s houseboat. Here Ragab's circle of friends congregates nightly, where they indulge in a hedonistic lifestyle of hashish and sex.

The group, which includes, a critic, a lawyer, a film director, a housewife, a secretary, and a student, are in turns alienated, disaffected, bored, disillusioned, or desperate. Into this mix comes Samara, who is an undercover journalist. She resists the temptations of drugs and sex, but the group both horrifies and fascinates her. Ragab and Anis begin to effect her objectivity - in very different ways. What began as an attempt to research a story turns into a crusade to save them from themselves.

At one point in time, Egypt boasted a film industry that was the third largest in the world, and Cairo held the title as “the Hollywood of the East.” By the time Adrift on the Nile was in production, the industry was on the wane. You would never know that from this movie. A compelling story and some excellent performances, particularly from Ahmed Ramzi as Ragab and Emad Hamdi, who portrays Anis, make this gripping viewing. While most of the characters are far from endearing (particularly when they’re high), they retain enough humanity to make them believable.

The DVD extras include a restoration demo, the original trailer, and filmographies. Like some of the other offerings from Arab Film Distribution, the print has been restored beautifully. It would be an excellent addition to collections supporting foreign films, Middle Eastern studies, or given its connection to the novel, literature. Adrift on the Nile is highly recommended.