Part of 100 years of Youssef Chahine

Ever since he was a child, Hemeida has dreamed of leaving the rural village where he lives with his mother and older brother. When his impulsive actions lead him into a forced marriage with Zubaida, a woman who loves him but whose affections he doesn’t share, Hemeida feels trapped. Yet he soon develops genuine feelings for Zubaida, only for her to die—or so he thinks—during childbirth. A grieving Hemeida finally makes it to Cairo, but life in the city proves to be much more brutal than he’d thought.