In “Sawa Sawa,” Hoda Al-Mufti embodied the simplicity of “Ahlam” in a calm, human scene in front of Sherif El-Desouki, where she turned her ordinary aspirations into a sincere, poignant moment of confession due to her extreme realism.
Ahlam spoke about her only wish to be cured of spinal cancer, for no other reason than her desire to sleep at night without pain. With bitter sarcasm, she criticized the common saying that “the pain of the soul is stronger than the pain of the body,” stressing that when physical pain dominates a person, it does not need philosophical comparisons, but rather only needs comfort.
Ahlam then moved on to talk about her dreams, which were not palaces or exceptional ambitions, but rather very simple daily details. She wished to marry Hema, wake up next to him and prepare breakfast for him, and dream of having four children with him. She also wished to go to the sea with him and share cooking, and she even mentioned her desire to eat “shawarma” with an innocence that reflects a deep longing to live an ordinary life.
The strength of the scene lies in its simplicity; Hoda Al-Mufti did not perform the words as poetic wishes, but rather as things she feared would not come true. Her tone of voice oscillated between stability and brokenness, and her looks reflected a hold on to a thin thread of hope. The performance seemed like a personal confession coming from within that, despite the simplicity of dreams, they seem unattainable.
Sawa Sawa series
The Sawa Sawa series revolves around Ibrahim and Ahlam, two young men trying to achieve their simplest dreams of being together, but the circumstances surrounding them prevent them from doing so. The series stars a number of actors alongside Ahmed Malek and Hoda Al-Mufti, including Ahmed Abdel Hamid, Noha Abdeen, Khaled Kamal, and Hosni Sheta. It presents a realistic treatment, written by Mohab Tariq, and directed by Essam Abdel Hamid.
