The true story of a group of tourists who find themselves trapped amidst the tombs and temples of Ancient Egypt, while the world outside is turned upside down. Stranded, they are forced to come together to find the silver linings in the face of a deadly Corona cloud.
The film follows the dramatic impact that global events had on this small group, how their own insecurities came to the fore and were then put to the test, all the while retaining a level of pertinent social commentary.
Forty Days in Egypt in the Time of Corona
Ted, a self-taught, would-be academic in his 50s, leads tours to Egypt in partnership with fellow Egyptophile, the rough and ready Carl. They are off on a new trip with a new group of people. What Ted doesn’t know is that Carl is romantically involved with one of the other travelers, Emily, nor does he know that the feisty Emily is a stage 4 cancer survivor. The small group of seven arrives in Egypt before COVID-19 has really taken its grip on the world.
Everything is going fine until Emily collapses at the side of the road; at the same moment they receive notification that Egyptian airlines have suspended all international flights. Stuck in a family-run, Nile-side hotel, the group initially comes together when faced with the issues of being in a form of lockdown, until Ted and some of the other members of the group start exhibiting signs of having contracted Corona.
Tensions rise as Emily’s medication runs out, the airline suspensions get longer and there seems to be very little support from the groups home government. As the sickness takes hold, four of the travelers pack up and leave for Cairo, to be close to the main airport and their own embassy. Ted, Carl and Emily stay on in Luxor, as Ted is too sick to travel, and they are terrified of being put in Egyptian quarantine. The hotel is obliged to close and so the three find rooms overlooking the Nile, and with Ted’s returning strength, begin exploring the parts of Luxor’s West Bank, parts that tourist usually never see.
Eventually, forty days after they arrived, there is the chance of a flight home.
