If you're ever asked to describe Egyptians in three words, they would be 'funny,' 'hilarious,' and 'sarcastic.'
Laughing at the darkest of situations is what makes Egyptians, well, Egyptians. So having a wealth of locally produced and made comedy films is only fair.
Here are six comedy movies every Egyptian swears by:
1. El Lemby
Starring Mohamed Saad, Hala Shiha, and Abla Kamel, this 2002 comedy was and still is a big hit in Egypt.
El Lemby is considered to be the movie to have catapulted Mohamed Saad's acting career.
The unforgettable love story between El Lemby and Noussa along with the famous expression 'blobeef blobeef' are still widely revered in pop culture today.
2. El Nazer
El Nazer (The Principal, 2000) is a comedy starring the late Alaa Wali El-Din. It is considered to be one of the most famous Egyptian movies of all time.
Who can forget Wali El-Din's brilliant performance playing all three main characters: the father, the son, and the mother.
The hilarious character, Gawaher - the mother Wali El-Din plays - is also adored by most Egyptians.
3. Sa'eedi Fil Gamaa el Amerekia
Sa'eedi Fil Gamaa el Amerekia (Sa'eedi in the American University, 1998) is a movie with an all-star cast, including Mohamed Henedy, Ahmed El Sakka, Hany Ramzy, Mona Zaki, and Ghada Adel.
Khalaf El Dahshori, the main character, receives a scholarship from the modern American University of Cairo. He has to move from his old-fashioned village to the city, forgetting all about his heritage along the way.
This character dons killer fashion outfits throughout the movie, becoming one of the most used characters in modern Egyptian memes.
4. Ghabi Menno Fih
Directed by Rami Imam and starring Hany Ramzy, Nelly Karim, and Hassan Hosni, Ghabi Menno Fih (Stupid as he is, 2004) is a comedy that will make you laugh until you cry.
Sultan, the main character, is the true embodiment of stupidity; he will mess up any and every situation he finds himself in. It's seriously a must-watch!
5. Aasel Eswed
Aasal Eswed (Black Honey, 2010) stars Ahmed Helmy as Masry Sayed El-Araby, a 30-year-old Egyptian who moves back to his homeland after 20 years in America.
This movie is loved for its black comedy which criticizes Egypt's many societal and economic issues.
6. Fool El Seen El Aazim
Fool El Seen El Aazim (The Great Beans of China, 2004) - a play on words from the Arabic translation of The Great Wall of China - is another well-loved movie starring Mohamed Henedy.
The movie follows a naive young man from a family of con-artists and crooks, forced to be a criminal. They send him to China where he faces a lot of trouble, making himself some harsh enemies along the way.
If you ask any Egyptian about this movie, their answer will definitely be 'mohy mohy mohy el sharkawy.'