Goha wa Abu Nawas: A messy, charming folk fable

Is it worth the watch?

If you have a soft spot for regional folk tales or just want something that doesn’t feel like it was focus-grouped to death, give it a shot. If you need tight pacing, high-end effects, or logic that follows a straight line, you’re going to be bored out of your mind. It’s a movie for people who like to see how stories change when they move from oral tradition to a shaky camera set-up.

There’s this scene about halfway through where Goha is trying to explain a joke to a local official. It goes on for way too long. Like, painfully long. You can see the actor thinking about his lunch. But honestly? It’s kind of great because of that awkwardness.

The Vibe

The whole thing feels like it was filmed in a backyard on a Tuesday afternoon. There’s a distinct lack of polish that makes it feel weirdly intimate. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Sic 'Em Brownie, though clearly aiming for a totally different kind of punchline. 😅

Khaled Chawki as Goha has this grin that he keeps on for almost the entire duration. It’s slightly menacing. Or maybe he just really enjoys the craft. It’s hard to tell. Ismail Zaki, on the other hand, seems to be playing in a completely different genre, maybe a silent film drama, while everyone else is doing a sitcom.

Odd Little Moments

• The background extras in the marketplace look like they’re just waiting for their bus.
• The sound mixing is… well, it’s definitely there. Sometimes.
• I’m pretty sure one of the goats in the village scene was not supposed to be in the frame.
• The costumes have that homemade-but-trying-really-hard energy.

It’s not trying to be a masterpiece. It feels like someone just wanted to put these stories on tape before they were forgotten. There’s a sincerity there that you just don't see in modern stuff. It’s almost as unpretentious as The Stage Hand, which is high praise in my book.

The dialogue is thick with proverbs. Sometimes it feels like they’re just reading a list of sayings. It’s clunky, sure. But it’s also kind of rhythmic in a weird, hypnotic way.

Don’t go in expecting a cohesive narrative. It’s a string of vignettes held together by sheer willpower and a few costumes. I found myself checking my watch, then immediately getting pulled back in by a sudden, genuinely funny facial expression from Nadia.

It’s a flawed little project. It’s imperfect. But it’s definitely not a content machine. 🍿