By Ramadan A. Kader A school bus is on the road. Students dance and sing on board as they enjoy their trip. The bus driver gets a tablet from his pocket and takes what it seems to be a drug. Suddenly, the driver loses control of the wheel and the bus crashes into a speeding train. Twenty students are dead and others injured. This is the opening scene of Ded Al Hakuma "Against the Government", a 1992 film by renowned Egyptian director Atef el-Tayeb. The film is one of the cinematic gems in the legacy of el-Tayeb, who died in 1995 aged 48. He is a big name among Egypt's neo-realism filmmakers, who transformed the country's cinema productions in the 1980s and 90s. Based on a story by investigative journalist Wagih Abu Zakri, "Against the Government" tells the story of tainted lawyer Mostafa Khalaf, who manipulates road crashes in order to file compensation lawsuits and uses tricky ways to swindle victims' families out of the money. He also defends prostitutes and drug dealers at courts. Typical of him, the lawyer, reeling from a drinking binge, rushes to the scene of the bus-train crash. Other rival lawyers appear. However, Khalaf's search for victims' compensation money takes a dramatic turn when he finds out that one of the injured students is his son from a previous marriage. The discovery prompts him to change his lifestyle and sues the government over the tragedy, a move that earns him several big-name foes. Khalaf, played by legendary Ahmed Zaki, nurtures a close relationship with his son, whom he did not know for 15 years. He did not realise all those years that he had a son, which bears the name of his step father – a prominent doctor running a hospital involved in illegal abortion operations. The teenage son is a class topper and a taekwondo champ. The lawyer regards the promising son as a chance for him to "atone for my sins" of the past and salvage the country's future. Khalaf becomes more determined than before to pursue the suit against the government against all the odds. He demands ministers of transport and education to show up at the court and make their testimonies for alleged dereliction. He argues that accountability should not be limited to small-time rail workers. His request embarrasses the government as the case rivets attention of the media and the public. Khalaf is briefly arrested and tortured. As part of a legal tug-of-war, the government lawyer uncovers Khalaf's disgraceful past at the court. Even though, Khalaf shows no sign of surrender. He has lost the backing of almost everyone. Under pressure, the victims' families withdraw their powers of attorney in the case from him. Only his divorcee stands by him and officially hires him to sue the government over their son's injury in the crash. In one of the most memorable scenes in the history of the Egyptian cinema, the protagonist presents his case at a packed courtroom and points the finger. "I'm an example of the corrupt lawyer. I belong to this era and those before it," he starts. "My awareness blossomed with the Nasserist experience in which I believed and defended," he adds, referring to the era of iconic president Gamal Abdul Nasser, who ruled Egypt for 14 years until 1970. "I felt jubilant over its victories and drank bitterness of its defeats. I was humiliated when everything was humiliated. I fell, as everyone did, into the deep pit of nonchalance, impotence and helplessness," Khalaf tells the court, as he refers to the aftermath of Egypt's ignoble rout by Israel in the 1967 war. He then turns to the contested infitah open-door economic policy initiated in the mid-1970s by then president Anwar el-Sadat. "I experienced the code of the 1970s, tampered with and excelled it. I traded in everything: the law, morals and honour. I deny nothing. I'm ready for accountability and shouldering responsibility." He admits that the crash has prompted him to reconsider his approach to life. "I've bumped into the future. I saw in a boy, who was among passengers of the death bus the future, which throws a real lifeline to us. I saw him being crushed by us without us batting an eyelid, while we believe that this is how things really are." The redeemed lawyer bursts out crying: "We all are corrupt with no exception even those overwhelmed by helpless silence." The court audience erupts in cheers as the presiding judge orders the ministers of transport and education as well as the head of the state-run railways authorities to appear before the court. In an uplifting end with unmistakable overtones, Khalaf hugs his son, who symbolises the future amid applause from other people. The political context of "Against the Government" is clear. Photos of former president Hosni Mubarak can be seen in some scenes of the film although censors had reportedly removed a clip in which the protagonist is being brutalised by police with one picture of Mubarak hanging on the wall. An occasional mention of the ruling party is made in the film, but without explicitly naming Mubarak's now-defunct National Democratic Party. Based on a well-crafted screen play by veteran script writer Beshir el-Deek, "Against the Government" features an acclaimed cast including accomplished actors Abu Bakr Ezzat and Ahmed Khalil. El-Tayeb was nicknamed as the "director of the poor", and "Che Guevara of the Egyptian cinema". His films mostly focus on socially and economically oppressed people. Zaki, who died on March 27, 13 years ago, was among el-Tayeb's favourite heroes due to his typical Egyptian features and extraordinary acting talents. Both are icons of the Egyptian cinema. Zaki starred in five milestone films directed by el-Tayeb. The due brilliantly made the cinema a mirror of ordinary people's agonies and aspirations.
