The Traveller

Love, passion, responsibility and loss follow a man over the course of half a century in this powerful drama from Egypt. In 1948, Hassan is working his first day on the job for a telegraph company when he has to deliver a telegram to Noura, a beautiful woman who is waiting on a ship docked in the harbor. The message is from Noura's fiancé, but when Hassan sees her, he acts on an impulse, and by the end of the day he's slept with Noura. In 1973, Hassan crosses paths with Noura again; her brother is in the hospital, and Hassan happens to meet Nadia, the beautiful woman's daughter who he may have fathered. And in 2001, elderly Hassan visits Cairo and meets Ali, Nadia's son, and both are taken aback at the similarities between them.

Directed by Ahmed Maher, The Traveller leans on a strong ensemble — Omar Sharif, Khaled El Nabawy, Cyrine Abdel Nour — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2009.