

The Stories is a decades-spanning Egyptian family saga and love story set between the late 1960s and 1980s. The film follows Ahmed, a young man from a Middle-Class Cairo family who dreams of becoming a concert pianist. During the tense summer of 1967, as war looms over Egypt, he begins a pen-pal correspondence with an Austrian woman named Elizabeth (“Liz”). A semi-autobiographical film based on the director's parents and how they met.
Directed by Abu Bakr Shawky, Jackie Bernon, Sherif Rizkallah
User score
13 votes
Released
June 17, 2026
2h 0m
German, English, Arabic, Russian

Amir El-Masry
Ahmad

Valerie Pachner
Elizabeth

Nelly Karim
Fairouz

Karim Kassem
Shams

Ahmed Kamal
Ragheb

Sherif Desouqy
Marai

Hassan El-Adl
Dawoud

Amr Abed
Lulu

Ahmed ElAzaar
Hassan

Khaled Mokhtar
Sharaf

Osama Abdullah
Labib

Sabry Fawaz
Hamada

Johannes Krisch
Alexander (Elizabeth's father)

Maria Hofstätter
Elisabeth (Elizabeth's mother)

Jack Hofer
Anton (Elizabeth's brother)
Nagui Chehata
Sabry

Mary Girgis
Hoda
Sami Bassiouni
The Postman

Tariq Rateb
Waheed
Sayyid Battawi
The Government Driver