Four young women walk a fine line between Middle-Eastern traditions and 21st Century independence in this romantic drama from Egypt. Farah (Reem Hegab), Nihal (Somayi Jouini), Heba (Farah Youssef) and Salma (Farida) are close friends who met while attending college and have moved to Cairo together in search of careers and opportunities unknown to them in the small towns where they grew up. Farah is a high-spirited gal who is looking for love and isn't afraid to let men know if she's interested in them. Nihal, the bookworm of the group, is outwardly suspicious of Farah's attitudes towards men, but unknown to her friends she's having a clandestine relationship with a man many years her senior. Salma is sweet natured, but finds it difficult to meet a man who appreciates her. And Heba is still troubled by acne, which makes her painfully self-conscious around men. As her friends deal with the ups and downs of dating, Farah falls in love with a married man, and has some difficult choices to make when she learns she's carrying his child. Balad El-Banat (aka Girls) was written by noted film critic Ola El Shafei, who based the screenplay on her own youthful experiences.
by Mark Deming
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