The Island

'El Gezira' is a film about a community of Upper Egypt residents living in El Gezira (the Island). They have their own set of rules, ethics and traditions. They also plant drugs and buy arms from Sudan. The officer in charge of the region turns a blind eye to these happenings, and in the beginning, the government takes no heed of the Island. At the start of the film, we witness the death of the old 'Kabir el Gezira' (the island's ruler), leaving the land to his son Mansour. The first half follows Mansour as he takes control of his land and must deal with a band of other drug lords who are greedy to take control of the island. The second half of the film deals with the political conflict. It follows the government's side of things (which finally decides to take action) at the same time as Mansour's side as the two react to each other's threats and the conflict escalates. 'El Gezira' is a multi-genre picture. It is a thematic film on Egyptian politics, but also a drama, romance, action and thriller. —Andrew Sidhom