Al-Basha - الباشا

Another classic from the prolific career of Egyptian screen icon Ahmed Zaki, this film from director Tarek Alarian is a gritty crime thriller about one man who tackles corruption in the upper ranks of society. Zaki plays Hussam, a veteran detective weary of seeing justice denied. When he investigates a large-scale prostitution network, he discovers that a powerful and respected businessman is at the top – both men will do everything in their power to ensure the other is defeated.

This poster is powerfully solemn and suggests the world-weariness and dissatisfaction so brilliantly portrayed in Zaki's performance. Rendered in a crystal-clear photographic style, Zaki sits on the banks of the Nile with his back to the viewer, taking in the panorama of the urban landscape. The lights of the city are bright but far away, hinting at the difficulty and loneliness of his pursuit of justice. The neon titles add an element of flash that ties this poster to the artistic traditions of contemporaneous Hollywood thrillers.

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