El Maganeen Fi Naeem

A madman exposes humanity’s insanity. Andeel leaves a mental hospital after 10 years of treatment are over to face the world again. Whenever he reveals that he used to be a mental patient, he is faced with aggressive suspicion, cruelty and rejection. When a shop owner refuses to hire him, he yells that he is the only one with an official certificate that proves he is actually sane. We follow his miserable search for a job and watch situations in which, over and over again, he gets very close to a decent life just before his unrestrained tongue reveals a side of his madness that freaks people out. Andeel is an honest, kind person who’s good at what he does, but people’s uncontrollable fear of madness makes them want to get rid of him and the uncomfortable state he puts them in, probably because of how normal he seems, just like them, yet how crazy he is, like they fear they might be.

Directed by Hasan El-Saifi, El Maganeen Fi Naeem leans on a strong ensemble — Ismail Yasseen, Rushdy Abaza, Zahrat Al-Ola — 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 comedy titles of 1963.