Have you ever watched a film that imprints itself on your soul, not just for its beauty, but for its raw, unvarnished portrayal of life’s grittier truths? Some movies invite you into their world with a gentle hand; others pull you in, forcing you to confront uncomfortable realities long after the screen fades to black. Morad Mostafa’s debut feature, ‘Aisha Can’t Fly Away’ (2025), is undeniably one of the latter. This Egyptian filmmaker’s initial foray into full-length cinema has already made waves, earning two prestigious nominations at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival – the Un Certain Regard Award and the Caméra d’Or. Yet, beneath the dazzling cinematography and artistic accolades lies a narrative that challenges, disturbs, and ultimately, darkens the soul. It’s a film that leaves you grappling with its images, its message, and perhaps, your own understanding of humanity.
The Allure of the Lens, the Chill of Reality
There’s a unique power in a film that marries breathtaking visual artistry with a narrative that is anything but gentle. ‘Aisha Can’t Fly Away’ achieves this with unsettling brilliance. From the very first frame, cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef’s work is evident, painting a Cairo that is both strikingly real and hauntingly atmospheric. The camera doesn’t just observe; it lingers, it seeks out, it frames moments of quiet despair and stark brutality with an almost poetic elegance. This mastery of visual storytelling is what truly “dazzles the eye.”
Yet, this visual poetry serves a difficult purpose. It’s a beautiful frame for an ugly picture, making the harsh realities depicted even more potent. The film takes an intimate approach to personal struggle, drawing viewers uncomfortably close to Aisha, a 26-year-old Sudanese woman navigating a perilous existence in Cairo’s Ain-Shams neighborhood. This setting, already painted as a “Cairo of shadows and defeat,” becomes a character in itself, mirroring the protagonist’s internal and external battles.
The contrast between the film’s aesthetic polish and its unflinching content creates a disquieting tension. You find yourself admiring a shot for its composition even as the scene unfolds with a gut-wrenching moment. It’s a sophisticated artistic choice, forcing the audience into a state of simultaneous appreciation and repulsion, highlighting the insidious nature of the cruelty being explored. This isn’t a film that allows you to look away; its beauty often traps your gaze right where the pain resides.
Aisha’s Odyssey: A Descent into Despair
At the heart of ‘Aisha Can’t Fly Away’ is Buliana Simon Arop’s compelling portrayal of Aisha. Her face, often the focus of the lingering camera, becomes a canvas for despair. We witness her personal struggle unfold, a slow-burning erosion of hope in the face of relentless adversity. The film doesn’t shy away from depicting the raw, visceral aspects of her life, making it a difficult watch for many.
The narrative delves into themes of human cruelty with a merciless hand. The background info mentions elements like gore, blood, and sexual assault, suggesting that Mostafa and his co-writers, Mohammad Abdulqader and Sawsan Yusuf, chose to present these realities without softening their impact. This isn’t gratuitous violence for its own sake, but rather a deliberate choice to underscore the profound suffering Aisha endure, reflecting the harsh realities faced by many in vulnerable communities.
Living in Ain-Shams, a neighborhood housing a large African migrant and refugee community, Aisha’s story becomes emblematic of broader systemic issues. Economic hardship forms a constant, oppressive backdrop, exacerbating her personal trials. The film masterfully weaves these individual and societal threads together, showing how external pressures can compound personal tragedies, creating a seemingly inescapable cycle of defeat. It’s a journey into the darkest corners of human experience, demanding empathy while offering little comfort.
A Double-Edged Mirror: Portrayal and Perception
While ‘Aisha Can’t Fly Away’ has garnered critical acclaim for its artistic merit and bold storytelling, it also navigates potentially contentious territory, particularly concerning its portrayal of Egyptian society. The background information points to an “exaggerated negative portrayal of Egyptians,” a phrase that immediately raises questions about artistic license versus representational accuracy. Filmmakers often walk a tightrope, aiming to illuminate difficult truths without inadvertently reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
This aspect is crucial because cinema, especially when celebrated internationally, holds significant power in shaping global perceptions. When a film depicts a “Cairo of shadows and defeat” and includes elements that could be seen as an overly negative generalization, it invites debate. Is the film critiquing specific societal issues, or is it painting a broader, perhaps unfair, picture of an entire nation? This is a conversation that resonates deeply within Egyptian cinematic discourse and beyond.
The international co-production aspect, involving companies from Egypt, Tunisia, Qatar, Germany, Sudan, France, and Saudi Arabia, adds another layer of complexity. This diverse funding and creative collaboration could offer varied perspectives, yet it also underscores the potential for different interpretations of the film’s message and its cultural implications. It’s a testament to the power of film to spark dialogue, even when that dialogue involves uncomfortable self-reflection or challenging external perceptions. Ultimately, the film acts as a mirror, but whether that mirror reflects a specific truth or an exaggerated one is left for the audience and critics to ponder.
Conclusion
‘Aisha Can’t Fly Away’ is not a film for the faint of heart, nor is it one easily forgotten. It’s a cinematic paradox: a triumph of visual storytelling that confronts the viewer with the unvarnished brutality of human existence. Morad Mostafa’s debut is a powerful, albeit harrowing, exploration of despair and resilience, anchored by an unforgettable performance by Buliana Simon Arop. Its nominations at Cannes are well-deserved recognition of its artistic courage and uncompromising vision.
Yet, its legacy will likely be debated, not just for its artistic choices in depicting extreme suffering, but also for its broader commentary on society. It serves as a stark reminder that some stories, even when told with dazzling precision, are designed to unsettle, to provoke, and perhaps, to darken the soul in order to illuminate hidden corners of our shared world. Watching it is an experience, but it’s an experience that leaves you reflecting on the depths of human cruelty and the enduring struggle for dignity, long after Aisha’s tale concludes.
