CLOSED DOORS
Egypt, 1999, 110 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Artef Hetata.
Closed Doors is a coming-of-age story, focusing on a 15 year old boy living with his deserted mother. She works for a wealthy family. He daydreams at school - especially about his brother who has disappeared in Iraq.
Failing at school, the boy takes refuge with a sheikh and is gradually indoctrinated with a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam where he wants his mother to wear a veil, give up her work, live according to the Koran. He becomes highly censorious and judgmental while experiencing sexual difficulties himself. His friend is killed in an accident in the streets, his teacher gives him coaching but the class rebels against the teacher and tear up their exams. He discovers that his mother is going to take another job, and also has fallen in love with the teacher. The film ends violently and melodramatically.
The film is an interesting look at Egypt in the early '90s with the setting of the Gulf War and Egypt's stance against Saddam Hussein. It focuses on the growth of fundamentalist movements in Egypt and the attractiveness for younger people wanting security. It also shows the changing of Egypt and the modernising as well as westernising. (Parallels could be made with Christian fundamentalist groups of the same period.)
1.A look at Egypt in the '90s, Islam, fundamentalism, traditions, modernising, westernising? The context of the Gulf War and the stances taken there?
2.The city settings, poverty and wealth, the streets and selling in the streets, the mosques? The musical score?
3.The focus on Islam, the tradition, the respect for the Koran, the mosques and the sheikhs, the renunciation of nationality and the nation of Islam? The dangers in fundamentalism?
4.The focus on Hameda: his age, at school and daydreaming, punished by the teachers? His close relationship with his mother? Spurned by the other students at class? His dreams and ambitions? A pilot? His father abandoning the family? The brother having gone to Iraq? His mother working for the rich family? His studying, wanting to leave school, going to sell things in the street - and comparative success? Going to the mosque, meeting the sheikhs, the indoctrination? His gradual change, severity as regards sin - yet patriarchal permissiveness? The neighbour and her loose living and his throwing himself at her? His ambiguity towards his mother? Pulling down the veil of the young girl at the sheikh's house? His personal confusion? Antagonism towards Mansour, the coaching, the exam? Suspicions? Wanting his mother to wear the veil, arranging the marriage for her? His growing angers and confusions, the death of his friend? The sheikh and the final advice, the knife and its being his brother's, following his mother, his anger and his murdering Mansour and his mother? What possible future? Refuge in fundamentalist groups? The portrait of the mother, the forced marriage and her reminiscences about the wedding and her husband's treatment, his abandoning his family (and her later going to confront him)? The loss of her son and the letters coming from Iraq? Her love for Hameda? Concern about his studies, at work, the influence of the owner of the house, the woman and her imperious style, her attraction towards the son and giving money for his education? Her later being sacked after revealing she knew the other apartment of the husband? Her going to see Mr Mansour and concern about Hameda's classes, willing to pay for tuition? The growing friendship with him, his helping her look for jobs, the interviews? Her not wanting Hameda to work, the money from the sales in the streets? The arranged marriage and her disgust with the sheikhs? Stance for women? Her friendship with her neighbour, their discussions? Her alarm about her son's moral attitudes? Getting the new job, the encounter with Mansour - and the violence of her death?
6.Mansour, the teachers and their exasperation, punishments? Personal teaching? Mansour's initial ambitions and frustrations, his family and jealousies? Jilted? His attraction towards Hameda's mother, helping her with the jobs, their talking, the final sequence and the murder?
7.The neighbour and her earthiness, putting the makeup on the mother, talking to Hameda, keeping him company, his sexual advances towards her, her warning the mother to get out?
8.The two sheikhs, the taking of the boys to the mosques? The lessons, the indoctrination? Respect for the Koran? The long explanation of Heaven - and it being a males' heaven with the women? The patriarchal stances, the anti-modern sexual stances? Wanting the women to be at home (and the husband going to the various homes of his wives)? The giving of money for financial support? The arranged marriage? The men renouncing their nationality and joining the Nation of Islam?
9.The friendship between Hameda and the boy, going to sell things on the street, the sexual encounters? His death on the road?
10.The rich family, the western decadence - whisky and music? The personal clashes? Vindictiveness towards the servants?
11.The various customers in the street, the rich, the poor, the sellers on the streets trying to make a livelihood? The contrast with the students at school and their attitudes - and the tearing up of the exam papers?
12.A portrait of '90s Egypt and a time of change for the nation and for Islam?
