L'Egypte vue du ciel

Over the course of a few days, I saw two similar documentaries. First, Algeria from Above charmed me with fascinating aerial landscape images, but that wow effect didn't fully appear the second time. This film still has a great camera and is capable of grounding it with beautiful compositions, and even surpasses Algeria from Above with its commentary, which delves deeper into the captured images and communicates something about the lives of the inhabitants of the landscape, sparing no critical words. If Algeria from Above tempted me to visit the country, Egypt from Above seemed rather depressing, exactly in the moments when it meant to impress. Shots of Cairo's center with seemingly grand skyscrapers and the centers of the banking and industrial sectors seemed to me like they were from a time after a disaster. There was no greenery or vibrancy. The gloomy monotony of the desert prevailed and even the tourist resorts gave the impression of places I'd rather avoid with a wide arc. Overpopulation, religious fundamentalism, nepotism, poverty, and visible barriers of a socially divided world. Shots of monumental landmarks are fine, but seeing those on a television screen was more than enough for me. Overall impression: 80%. (17.08.2020)