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Arks for Yesterday is a 2013 Egyptian English-language romantic period action drama film directed by Kevin Adams and was set during the aftermath of Doomsday. The film stars Ryan Foley and Mariya Nikitina in lead roles alongside Zameel Ashraf, Bogdan Polyakov and Kutikov Makarovich. Budgeted at £E9 million, the movie had a nation-wide cinema release in English on 22 March, 2013. A nation-wide version of the film in Egyptian Arabic was released on 12 October, 2015 after heavy backlash. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the two film versions grossed over £E22 million net in Egypt, with a sequel being rumored to be released sometime in 2025. The film was re-released in 2023 on account of the 40th anniversary of Doomsday. It is believed that Arks for Yesterday is the most pirated film in all of the Middle East, with an alleged 2,500 to 5,500 pirated viewings of the film.
Plot[]
Following the tragic events of Doomsday, several tourists from the former Western bloc huddle together in the embassies of their home country. Several form armed mobs, wishing to seek revenge on those they believed had caused the nuclear war. Fighting between Western tourists and Eastern embassy staff devolved into organised crime with a major attack conducted by groups of Americans, British, French and Canadian tourists on the embassies of the USSR and GDR, in an attempt to burn the buildings and kill members of staff as they tried to flee on 22nd October. Irina Brezhnev, a staff member, was also chased by these tourists but she managed to escape them, suddenly passing out in the process. When Irina wakes up in a daze, she tries to search for some water to quench her thirst when a group of French and American tourists see her, trying to chase her down. Adam North, an American tourist, is also part of the crowd trying to kill the embassy staff. But when he is able to catch up to Irina, something takes over his senses and he hesitates killing her, instead staring at her passionately. When the rest of the mob reaches the scene, Adam defends Irina from the tourists with his improvised spear. They then carefully enter a truck, trying to evade Egyptian police. While driving to a nearby hotel, Adam and Irina recollect their memories of the past.
Past (Pre-1983): Adam North (played by Ryan Foley) was a middle school English teacher in the United States before the Third World War. Despite the low wages, Adam was satisfied with his profession, believing that education is the building block for a bright future. Until recently, the bachelor lived a normal life in a middle income family consisting of himself and his parents. However, hard times would come quickly, causing Adam to lose his job. Ultimately, he would end up resorting to a life of crime by joining a major gang known as the Slum Rangers after running away from his parents. Adam would quickly rise up the ranks of the Slum Rangers and would soon be tasked with meeting up with an Egyptian business contact in search of political influence and financial backing, known only as the Sultan.
On the other side of the world was Irina Brezhnev (played by Mariya Nikitina), a woman who was described as ambitious since she was a young girl. Irina always aced her school examinations and was one of the lucky few to get admitted into the prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations. She would later pursue a job as an embassy staff member at the Soviet embassy in Cairo. The death of Leonid Brezhnev in 1982 caused a stir all across the world. However, it would affect Irina at a more personal level. Having the same surname as the now dead General-Secretary, she would end up receiving several letters of sympathy for a loss she never experienced. All she had to comment was, "You people are lucky our only similarity is our surname and not our blood". Everything seemingly continued as normal for her after the incident.
That was when Doomsday happened, sending the entire world into a state of perpetual chaos. Entire cities were wiped within the blink of an eye and the death toll was beyond what the survivors could ever imagine. Adam's deal with the Sultan was cut short as the business contact ran away and Irina now had to deal with the bureaucratic aftermath of the Third World War.
The Third World War was unpredictable; its consequences being felt all across the world immediately, Egypt was no different. When humans were expected to unite in such trying times, they resorted to tribalism. The surviving tourists were angered at the Soviets and Germans, resulting in violent protests. Irina was hiding inside the Soviet embassy along with the other staff based on orders from the Egyptian government. Andrei (played by Kutikov Makarovich), a janitor, volunteers to become a scout for the embassy staff, acting as their eyes and ears. It goes well for the first few days as Andrei reports back to his base, his reports about the outside becoming worse and worse every time he returns. However, on 20th October, he would get captured by a mob and then killed gruesomely. When Andrei didn't return to the embassy that night, a state of chaos ensued with both the Soviet and GDR embassies being put on high alert. Meanwhile, Adam had become homeless after his briefcase was stolen in the dead of night. With no way out of this endless spiral of despair and poverty, he was forced to pickpocket in the day and catch a few hours of sleep during nightfall.
Present (1983-1996): Adam and Irina hide in the streets for multiple days until they're discovered by an Egyptian bureaucrat. Adam lies and claimed that they were newlywed British couple. A batch of policemen rehouse them in Alexandria. Adam and Irina make do with their new house, where he explains that lying about their nationality doesn't mean anything as he did this only to save her life. After learning that Moscow was destroyed in the nuclear war from the radio, Irina starts growing depressed, believing that her parents were dead. After overhearing a French lady piecing together that Irina does "not seem like a British woman", she insists Adam reveal the truth and take her to Port Said as she doesn't want to overburden him anymore. Before Adam and Irina head out towards the Alexandria Re-Housing Association, Irina insists that she had learned about Adam's love for her by reading his secret diary, but doesn't say anything. After reaching the Association headquarters and realizing her love for him, Irina proposes to Adam, and they get married in a courthouse.
TBD
Cast[]
- Ryan Foley as Adam North
- Mariya Nikitina as Irina Brezhnev
- Kutikov Makarovich as Andrei
- Alexander Belonogov as Irina's father
- Zameel Ashraf as The Sultan
- Dionne Fabre as French Mob Leader
- Alan Harris as British Mob Leader
- Isabelle Blanc as French Lady
There are more to come...
Production[]
Kevin Adams claims that he found the primary inspiration for the story scribbled in a diary he bought in a paraphernalia auction. According to him,"[I]t was very easy to get an idea for a movie [in the 2000s] but it was difficult to find any actors; let alone competent ones, that were willing to perform for the movie". The movie's casting choices were made fun of as most of the 40-year old characters were played by 20-year olds. The destruction of both the First and Second Worlds in the aftermath of Doomsday prevented the producers from shooting the past on-site. Most of the past scenes which featured New York City and Moscow had to be filmed in improvised sets in Alexandria since the former two cities were destroyed. Most of the scenes in the movie were filmed in either Cairo or Giza.
Soundtrack[]
The music of Arks for Yesterday was composed by Andrew Tyson. Lyrics of all the songs were written by Sergei Ivanov, with the exception of Faqidt Fi El-rimal, which was written by Hesham Nazih. According to composer Andrew Tyson, since the movie was based in 1983 and was releasing in 2013, it was a challenge for him to give a music which could relate to 1983 as well as cater to the listeners of the 2010s era.
| Song | Singer(s) |
|---|---|
| Night of Changes | Karina Mikhailov |
| City Lights | Anthony Perry |
| Siberian Nights | Karina Mikhailov |
| Today Becomes Yesterday Again | Anthony Perry, Koloda Mikhailov |
| Faqidt Fi El-rimal | Warda Al-Jazairia |
| Lost in Love | Jessica Adams |
Release And Reception[]
Movie Critics[]
Adrian Taft of Shooting Stars wrote "Arks For Yesterday comes close to being fantastic, even though it is overheated in a few bits. Not to miss, this". Charles Watson gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "On the whole, Arks For Yesterday is worth the watch for its excellent over-the-top dramatic sequences, splendid performances and touching moments that overpower the two flaws in the film - the unnecessary sexualization of Soviet women and a weak musical score".
Public Reception[]
The film faced protests, including incidents of arson and violence, at the time of its release particularly in Alexandria by some Muslim groups who were opposed to the depiction of pre-marital kissing. The film's portrayal of Tourist Trap violence was also alleged to be biased against Westerners. President Kamal Ganzouri was also petitioned by one of the groups to implement a ban in the country, though it did not materialize. Such circumstances made it difficult to properly translate and dub the film in Egyptian Arabic.
Promotion By Government[]
The former Ganzouri presidency was hesitant to support the film, fearing backlash from traditionalist Muslims and Western bloc survivors. However, this legacy would soon be ended with the presidency of Sami Hafez Anan. The film was made tax free in the entire country when it was re-released in 2023 with an official endorsement from President Anan.
Re-release[]
An uncut and extended version remastered in 1080p resolution and improved audio was given a limited theatrical re-release on 25 September 2023 on account of the 40th anniversary of Doomsday.