Brilliantly introduced by Nezar Andary, this book is a work of creative nonfiction that approaches writing on film in a fresh and provocative way. It draws on academic, literary, and personal material to start a dialogue with the Egyptian filmmaker Shadi Abdel Salam's The Mummy (1969), tracing the many meanings of Egypt's postcolonial modernity and touching on Arab, Muslim, and ancient Egyptian identities through watching the film.

Youssef Rakha is a novelist, poet, journalist, and photographer who writes in both Arabic and English. His work has been widely anthologized and translated into many languages. Born, raised, and based in Cairo, Egypt, Rakha graduated from Hull University, UK, in 1998.