Back to Alexandria (Retour en Alexandrie) is a rare cinematic gem - both intimate and universal. The film tells, with remarkable subtlety, the story of a woman returning to her hometown after years of silence and emotional distance. What could have been a typical family drama becomes, under Tamer Ruggli's elegant direction, a moving reflection on identity, reconciliation, and the unspoken truths that shape us.
The acting duo - Nadine Labaki and Fanny Ardant - is absolutely outstanding. Their mother-daughter relationship is complex, nuanced, and deeply touching. Ardant, in particular, is magnetic, delivering a performance filled with strength, charm, and vulnerability.
Visually, the film is breathtaking. Cairo and Alexandria are captured with such beauty and nostalgia, becoming a character in its own right. The cinematography is elegant and restrained, always serving the emotional core of the story.
Back to Alexandria is a heartfelt and honest film, never melodramatic, yet profoundly moving. A beautiful meditation on roots, forgiveness, and the weight of the past. Truly a film not to be missed.
