Yacoubian Building Trailer

A preview of the film adaptation of Alaa Al Aswany’s The Yacoubian Building is available at Outtherenews. The film–the Arab world’s biggest production–came out in Egypt earlier this month, and there was some brouhaha over its depiction sex, homosexuality, political corruption and so on. (Despite all the hype, this isn’t the first time gay characters have been frankly portrayed in an Egyptian film, of course. Youssef Chahine has done so several times in the past.) There are also some interviews with the screenwriter and the stars. (By the way: Oh my God, what happened to Nour Cherif? He’s hardly recognizable!)