Beggars and Nobles
(Chahatoun Wa Nobalae)

Cairo, July 1945. Gohar, a former history teacher turned tramp, wakes up suffering from withdrawal. He goes to the house where prostitutes work, hoping to find his dealer. The house is empty, except for a young prostitute. In a fit of madness, he strangles her. Nour El-Din, the policeman investigating the crime, suspects Yeghen, the poet who sells drugs to Gohar, then El Kordi, a minor public servant who wants to marry one of the prostitutes. Nour El-Din keeps an eye on Gohar who finally confesses the crime. The policeman is puzzled. This is 6 August 1945 and they hear about the bomb on Hiroshima. The policeman and Gohar confront each other…