A Bird on the Road
A restless road driver and a married woman pursue the possibility of freedom while confronting the social realities that keep them apart.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- intimate
- wistful
- reflective evening
- arthouse film night
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Fares spends his life driving on the roads, making travel and mobility central to his relationship with Essmat.
Fares and Essmat imagine becoming free, but Essmat's marriage and their harsh reality restrict the possibility.
The lovers' dreams collide with practical reality, framing their attraction within marriage, disability, and economic limitation.
The Egyptian setting, working-life protagonist, and focus on restrictive social circumstances place the film within socially observant Egyptian drama.
Films like A Bird on the Road, and why
The Night of Counting the Years
socially grounded romantic drama about constrained lovers, class pressure, and escape from an oppressive reality
The Open Door
melancholic Egyptian drama centered on desire, social restrictions, and emotionally complex relationships
The Last Picture Show
realist road drama combining romantic longing, economic hardship, and conflicted personal freedom
Movie Details
- Director
- Mohamed Khan
- Release Date
- 1981-09-14
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 8.4 / 10 (5)
Cast
- Ahmed Zaki
- Athar ElHakim
- Ferdoos Abdel Hamid
- Farid Shawqy
- Mimi Chakib
- Amin Elheneidy
- Khairy Beshara
- Hafez Amin
- Afaf Wagdy
- Rashad Osman
Common questions
- What is A Bird on the Road about?
- A restless road driver and a married woman pursue the possibility of freedom while confronting the social realities that keep them apart.
- What is A Bird on the Road like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Bird on the Road as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Bird on the Road violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in A Bird on the Road.
- Which films are like A Bird on the Road?
- Films with a similar feel include The Night of Counting the Years, The Open Door, and The Last Picture Show.
- How long is A Bird on the Road?
- A Bird on the Road runs 106 minutes.
