With Ahmed Hatem’s “Red Flag” hitting cinemas on September 9, it feels like the perfect time to talk about the other side of Egyptian cinema’s relationship spectrum. Because yes, we’ve had our fair share of red flags, but we’ve also had men who remembered the little things, owned their mistakes, showed up when it mattered and, most importantly, actually paid attention to the women they loved. Here are a few who deserve their green flags.
Zaki: To Be Loved Is to Be Known
— Zaki Chan
Zaki basically proves that being loved is sometimes just being really, really known. He remembers that she doesn’t like tea, knows exactly what makes her laugh when she’s crying and can somehow recognize every single one of her smiles — including what each one means and when it shows up. Forget grand gestures; this man was paying attention. And honestly, that’s the romance.
Beshir: Owning Up & Apologizing
— Bibo & Beshir
Bashir gets points for something that should be basic but somehow feels revolutionary in movies: he realizes he was being an idiot and actually says sorry. After making misogynistic comments about Bibo leaving her job once they get married, he recognizes how wrong he was, apologizes and tries to make things right. No doubling down, no “that’s just how I am.” Just accountability and an attempt to do better. Green flag behaviour, finally.
Hassan: Dropping the Act
— Ezaet Hob
Hassan spends part of the movie putting on a whole fake personality to impress Laila, only to eventually drop the performance and admit who he really is. But the cutest part? He went diving for her despite not knowing how to swim. He literally put himself in a situation he had no business being in just to impress the woman he liked. Questionable decision-making? Yes. Adorable? Also yes.
Omar: When “I’m Fine” Doesn’t Fool Him
— Khaleg Neaama
Omar spends the whole movie noticing the things Jana tries to hide. But the ultimate “I see you” moment comes when she closes the door in his face, tells him everything is fine and tries to send him away — and he knows immediately that she’s lying. He sees straight through her, realizes she’s in danger and ends up saving her from her psycho ex-husband. That moment is basically the literal embodiment of their entire dynamic: he pays attention when everyone else might have taken her “I’m fine” at face value.
Yassin: Shows Up When Life Gets Messy
— Badaa Saat Fi Yawman Ma
Yassin and Sara go from basically being strangers to going through an entire lifetime’s worth of drama in what feels like a few hours. He helps her when she’s lost, sticks around through everything that follows and, when her father dies, is right there for her. Then, when they’re stranded and need a ride, he literally throws himself in front of a car to get it to stop. Sir, we could have just waved. But the commitment to helping her? Green flag.
Before We Go Full Red Flag…
With Red Flag arriving in cinemas on September 9, Ahmed Hatem might be bringing us the red flag of the season. But before we spend the next few weeks dissecting questionable male behaviour, let’s give some credit to the fictional men who showed us that romance can also look like remembering, listening, apologizing, noticing and showing up.
Because apparently, green flags do exist in Egyptian movies. We just need to appreciate them when we see them.
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