In many parts of the world, to offend or insult someone, a single word is enough: animal. Calling someone an animal implies that the person lacks reason, intelligence, and, above all, lacks dignity. It is hard to pinpoint exactly when or how language became so deeply tied to the degradation of animals, but at its core lies a worldview that treats animals as property, coupled that humans have souls and intellect, while animals do not. But the reality is that many animals suffer, so why, then, do we not extend them ethical consideration? This is the central question posed by the recently released Egyptian film 'Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo'. At the heart of the film’s message is the idea that justice should not depend on an animal’s ability to reason, or any other ability, but rather on its capacity to suffer.
MIRNA SAYED ABDULAAL: In Egypt, to offend or insult someone, a single word is enough: hayawan (animal). Calling someone an animal implies that the person lacks reason, intelligence, and, above all, lacks dignity. This is not the only example of how animals are degraded in language; many other terms, like homar (donkey) or kalb (dog), are also used to insult others. It is hard to pinpoint exactly when or how language became so deeply tied to the degradation of animals, but at its core lies a worldview that treats animals as property, coupled that humans have souls and intellect, while animals do not.
But the reality is that many animals suffer, so why, then, do we not extend them ethical consideration? This is the central question posed by the recently released Egyptian film Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo (2024), which premiered in Egyptian cinemas on January 1, 2025. At the heart of the film’s message is the idea that justice should not depend on an animal’s ability to reason, or any other ability, but rather on its capacity to suffer.
Just as justice is not withheld from humans who are elderly, disabled, or unable to speak or reason, animals, too, should be protected and defended from injustice. In the absence of comprehensive animal welfare legislation in Egypt, the film suggests that animals, too, deserve justice, and that no form of injustice should go unaddressed…
Written by Mohamed Al-Husseini and Khaled Mansour, the film’s plot revolves around a straightforward yet powerful story: rescuing Rambo, a dog, from the cruelty of those who seek to harm him and standing up against the injustice he faces. While this may seem like an unconventional story rarely explored in Egyptian cinema, it’s actually based on a real incident from 2015 that sparked widespread outrage across Egypt.
In the Shubra Al-Kheima district of Cairo, a neighborhood dog was tortured by three men, and the whole act was recorded on video. While the men were later arrested, what intrigued Mansour about the incident was that the dog’s owner stood by, offering no protection for the dog, even as the dog tried to defend him. In contrast, Rambo’s story flips the narrative, portraying an owner — played by Hassan (Essam Omar) — who fights for his dog’s justice, never abandoning him and standing by him until the very end.
At first glance, the story might seem too unrealistic, especially in a world rife with injustices faced by people at every turn, so how could we possibly extend that responsibility to animals? But that’s precisely the power of the film: it challenges us to believe that no injustice, no matter how small, should go unchecked or ignored. Even in a world that feels unfair in every direction, we’re reminded that we must not lose our drive to fight for justice, for any creature, even when we ourselves are caught in the struggle for it.
As Hassan sets out on his quest to find a safer, better place for his dog, Rambo, he unknowingly begins to reconnect with his own self. Along the way, he starts to confront the deep wounds and unresolved traumas from his past, especially the pain of his father’s abandonment.
What begins as a fight for justice for his dog transforms into a personal journey of healing. With each step he takes to help Rambo, he inches closer to reconciling with his own past, finding peace amidst the struggles he’s carried for so long. SOURCE…
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