The Stories

The Stories (2026)



القصص

7.4 2026 120 min —

Director: Abu Bakr Shawky

Cast: Nelly Karim, Amir El-Masry, Valerie Pachner, Amr Abed, Ahmed Kamal

Comedy Drama Music
Across decades of Egyptian history, from the late 1960s into the 1980s, unfolds a sweeping family epic and tender romance. At its heart is Ahmed, a middle-class Cairo youth with a burning ambition to become a concert pianist. In the fraught summer of 1967, with the shadow of war creeping over Egypt, he starts exchanging letters with an Austrian woman named Elizabeth, known as Liz. This deeply personal film draws from the director’s own parents’ real-life meeting, weaving their story into a vivid, semi-autobiographical tapestry.

More About This Film

The Stories is a sweeping drama from Egyptian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky. Set between the late 1960s and the 1980s, the film follows Ahmed, a young man in Cairo whose dream of becoming a concert pianist becomes intertwined with an unexpected pen-pal romance with a woman in Austria.

The story moves between personal ambition, family relationships, migration, music, and the changing social landscape of the period. The international cast includes Amir El-Masry, Valerie Pachner, Nelly Karim, Karim Kassem, and Ahmed Kamal.

  • Written and directed by Abu Bakr Shawky.
  • The production connects Egypt, Austria, and Sweden.
  • Runtime is approximately 120 minutes.
  • The film was released in Egypt in June 2026.
  • It received the NDR Director's Award at Filmkunstfest Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Where to Watch

The Stories has primarily circulated through festivals and international film distribution, with streaming dependent on territory.