‘Winter of Discontent’ the revolutionary drama set in the backdrop of Cairo has been selected as Egypt’s official entry for the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language category. The movie which is directed by Ibrahim Al-Batout portrays the life of an activist, a journalist and the State Security Officer during the tumultuous events of January 2011 in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.

The movie is undoubtedly the unflinching look at the brutality during the Hosni Mubarak era. The raw cinematic language adopted by the director has garnered highly positive reviews upon its screening in Venice, Dubai and Cairo Film Festivals. The movie stars, Amr Waked, Farah Youssef and Salah Al Hanafy in the lead roles.

Till now, no Egyptian film has ever made the Academy’s nomination shortlist. The country expects to break this barrier with ‘Winter of Discontent;, and they are waiting for January 16th to know the final nomination list for the academy awards.