Masry has been living the US for 20 years and finally decides to visit his homeland, Egypt. Nothing is as he remembers it to be, but his deep love for his country and culture makes it hard for him to decide whether he should stay or go back to the US. The name of the film Assal Eswed (2010, Khaled Marie) meaning bittersweet, accurately describes the situation Masry finds himself in during his visit. Although he is super excited about being back in Egypt, the challenges he faces disappoint him throughout the film.
Family Relations
Masry stays with his cousin and their family, who are the only relatives he has. He soon starts realizing some weird dynamics of the family. For instance, the household is made up of more than one couple which leads to privacy issues between the other couples due to lack of space. However, he enjoys spending time with the family and partaking in traditional practices, like making desert together before the feast. He forms deep bonds with the members of the family which make him even more attached to his country and people.
American Passport and Identity
Masry loses his American passport which leads to massive problems from the beginning of the film. He gets treated very differently by hotel employees and even police officers when he does not carry that identity. Even when he thinks he has found his passport, he gets beaten up by anti-American protestors. So, he keeps questioning the importance of identity in his homeland which leaves him with confused feelings.
Final Decision
So not to spoil the film, Masry has to make an important decision in the end whether to return to US or not. Although he has seen all the hardships of his homeland, the warm feelings it has left him linger and make it hard to decide. This indecisiveness leaves the audience with bittersweet feelings as well. At times we are shocked, at times we laugh and some moments are even emotional to a foreign audience. But we know no matter what Masry decides to do, the feelings for a homeland are universal.
So what will it be? Return or no return, a real dilemma.
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