Why is the sea laughing? My weird time with El bahr biyidhak lesh

If you are looking for a masterpiece of silent cinema that makes perfect sense, stay away from this one. You would probably enjoy it if you like watching things that feel like a fever dream from nearly a hundred years ago.

I think most people will hate it because it just... stops and starts in ways that don't feel like a normal movie. But if you have a soft spot for grainy, flickering history, it's worth a look today.

The whole thing kicks off because of a dog. This sergeant, Abu Dguen, is just doing his job when a car hits a dog, and for some reason, this sends him on a lifelong spiral.

It is such a specific way to start a tragedy. Or a comedy? I'm honestly not sure which one Amine Atallah was going for half the time.

The chase scene on the bike is actually kind of funny. You can see the dust kicking up and the bike looks like it might fall apart at any second.

He misses the guy, of course. And then he meets this village girl who helps the driver get away, which makes zero sense if you think about it for more than two seconds.

Why would she help the guy who just caused a hit-and-run? Maybe she just liked the car. 🚗

The movie gets really weird once he leaves the police force. He ends up at a place called Hammamet, and there is this scene with girls in a shower that feels like it belonged in a completely different film.

It reminded me a bit of the random energy in Die badende Nymphe. Just people hanging out in water because the camera is there.

Abu Dguen tries to be an interpreter next. He fails at that, which isn't surprising because he doesn't seem to know what he is doing in any scene.

There is a shot of him looking at a book where you can tell he is just staring at the pages without reading a single word. His eyes are just glazed over.

Then the movie takes a dark turn. He gets so sad about his life that he tries to end it all.

It’s a bit heavy-handed. The music (if you’re watching a version with a score) probably tries to make it emotional, but it just feels sudden.

Like, one minute he's failing at a job, and the next he's ready to give up on the world. It’s a very 1920s way of handling plot points.

The pacing is all over the place, kind of like The Life of Reilly. One moment is dragged out, and the next covers three months in a single title card.

Eventually, he runs back into the driver from the beginning. The guy is rich now! 💰

And what does the driver do? He hires the guy who used to be a cop to be a tutor for his kids.

I sat there for a minute just blinking at the screen. This man is not qualified to teach anyone anything, let alone children.

But that is the charm of these old films. They don't care about your logic or your "character arcs."

Estafan Rosti is in this, and he has such a distinct face. Even in the blurry, low-quality footage, you can see him acting with his whole soul.

Sayed Suleiman is there too, but I feel like he gets lost in the shuffle. The movie is really the Atallah show.

The title translates to something like "Why is the sea laughing?" but I didn't see much of the sea. Or much laughing, really.

It feels a bit like A Rare Bird in how it tries to find humor in being a total loser. Except this one feels more desperate.

I noticed a stray hair on the lens during one of the interior shots. It stayed there for about three minutes and I couldn't stop looking at it.

The costumes are cool, though. Those old uniforms have so many buttons.

If you’ve seen A Tailor-Made Man, you know that vibe of a guy trying to fit into a world he doesn't understand. Abu Dguen is exactly that, but with more mustache.

I wish the ending had more punch. It just sort of fades out once he gets the teaching job.

Is he happy? Is he still mad about the dog? We never find out.

It’s an uneven watch, for sure. Some parts feel like they were edited with a bread knife.

But there is a sincerity to it that you don't get anymore. They were just figuring out how to tell stories with moving pictures.

Don't expect a masterpiece. Just expect a weird, slightly sad, slightly funny trip through old Cairo.

I'm glad I watched it, but I don't think I'll ever need to see it again. Once is enough for this level of chaos. 🌊