A visual journey through ‘Perfumed With Mint’
In his directorial debut, Muhammed Hamdy, an Emmy-winning Egyptian cinematographer, presents a visually captivating yet narratively slow-paced film, “Perfumed With Mint”. This surrealistic piece, which delves into generational discontent, is a blend of striking imagery and prolonged periods of stagnation. Despite its slow pace, the film offers some of the most mesmerizing visual poetry seen at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, serving as a poignant elegy for the deceased.
The art of visual storytelling
Hamdy’s film opens with gradual lateral tracking shots that hover over mint leaves, accompanied by subdued prayers and whispers. This eerie and absorbing prologue sets the tone for the film, introducing us to Bahaa (Alaa El Din Hamada), a despondent doctor treating a middle-aged woman who is haunted by the spirit of her dead son. The lengthy shots capture a sense of spiritual crisis and the feeling of being lost in the face of death.
However, the film only revisits this careful unveiling of anguished hearts near the end. In the interim, it tells a strange, phantasmagorical story set in the abandoned alleys of Cairo. Here, Bahaa and his friend Mahdy (Mahdy Abo Bahat) — a troubled man growing mint leaves from his hair — flee from disembodied shadows. This mint affliction, common among Cairo’s youth, is seemingly dulled by smoking hashish, leading to an extended second act reminiscent of a stoner comedy, albeit one wrapped in gorgeous and evocative lighting.
A deeper look into the characters
Bahaa is also a lovelorn man, carrying around a precious letter that never seems to dry after getting wet. The scars of the past manifest through subtle magical realism, as characters sit around smoking, waiting to move undetected from one place to the next. Hamdy’s skillful creation of mood is a double-edged sword. Even viewers unfamiliar with modern Egyptian politics can glean meaning from his images. These characters, approaching middle age, have lost all hope for the future and remain on the run from encroaching fascistic phantoms, preferring to dull their pain through intoxication rather than face the dead.
Political undertones and cultural reflections
“Perfumed With Mint” is a deeply political work that invites occasional curiosity from afar. For those in the know, it reflects the sheer exhaustion of the post-Arab Spring generation, who inadvertently traded one tyrant for another and have barely stopped protesting since. This weary discontentment is so lucidly conveyed that it’s not hard to get on the movie’s wavelength early on. However, the film seldom explores its own imagery or transforms in meaning, with lengthy lulls featuring withdrawn, monotonous conversations with political bents.
The final act: Aesthetic and thematic transformations
As the film reaches its quiet climactic scenes, “Perfumed With Mint” finally achieves the aesthetic and thematic transformations it had been lacking. Hamdy has created a film featuring so much wasted time, which feels oddly fitting for a story that ruminates on this notion and how it hollows people out. When the film blooms in its final act, it does so through moving, rigorous, tension-filled visual inquiries into what becomes of young people when their spiritual wounds aren’t allowed to heal, and when their calls to action seem more muted and distant with each passing political movement.
A film worth the wait
“Perfumed With Mint” is a film that requires deep and meditative patience, but it’s largely worth the wait. For cinema enthusiasts, it offers a unique blend of visual poetry and political commentary, making it a standout piece at the Toronto Film Festival. If you’re intrigued by the film’s premise, you can watch the trailer here.
Muhammed Hamdy‘s debut is a testament to the power of visual storytelling, capturing the essence of a generation’s discontent and the haunting beauty of their struggles. Whether you’re a fan of surrealism, political dramas, or simply appreciate stunning cinematography, “Perfumed With Mint” is a film that will leave a lasting impression.