The film is set in the Darassa area, a poor district somewhere in Cairo with many graves and monuments, where people have to fight for life. Nawal, Sekina and Fatma live in a humble hovel. They have been friends since their youth and suddenly discover that their lives are passing them by in their continual attempt to maintain themselves and live a respectable life. Fatma is in love with Youssef, who is however chasing a wealthy lady of advancing years. Sekina loves Fatma’s brother Abdou to bits. Their plans to marry after sexual intercourse are thwarted when Abdou joins a fundamentalist group and demands some changes from Sekina, including a certain operation. In the meantime, Nawal is in love with Sekina’s brother Hassan, who suffers from a trauma he probably acquired during the Gulf war. Three beautifully coloured fish, armed with sarcasm and a boundless passion for life, gasp for fresh air. Their dreams seem to come to nothing, but at least they tried.
