Rachel, a Jewish seamstress, lives with her husband and infant son, Dan, in a house shared with Linda — a British Christian nurse — and Fatima, an Egyptian Muslim housewife. During the intense air raids, the three women make a solemn vow to raise each other’s children should any of them die. When a direct bomb strike kills everyone except Rachel and the three children, she keeps her promise and flees with them to Port Said.
Years of struggle follow as Rachel raises the children while fending off Raymond, a predatory fabric merchant. During the Suez Crisis of 1956, Omar — now a teenager — kills Raymond while defending Rachel from an assault, forcing the family to flee to Cairo. There, Rachel starts a successful tailoring business with a merchant named Ibrahim Majestic. But Marcel, the Jewish owner of the pension where Rachel lives, reports her to the police for refusing to emigrate to Israel and for sheltering non-Jewish children.
At the police station, Officer Adel El-Qady orders her to hand over Jack to the British Embassy and Omar to him, then to leave the country. Helpless, Rachel obeys and emigrates to America. Adel raises Omar until he becomes a doctor, while Jack grows up to become an FBI officer in the United States. Dan becomes a prominent lawyer in New York and helps Rachel run her fashion house.
Years later, they all reunite in New York when Omar is accused of murdering his Jewish neighbor, Albert. Dan and Jack take on his defense and ultimately prove his innocence. They gather once more at Rachel’s mansion for what becomes their last dinner together. The next morning, Rachel passes away, leaving a will requesting to be buried in Alexandria beside her husband Elias
UNTITLED SCREENPLAY
FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT
KHALED ABD ELGHANY IBRAHIM OMAR
Based ON A True Family Story From 1942 In Alexandria
Screenwriter: KHALED ABD ELGHANY IBRAHIM
OMAR
E-mail:khaledomar1942@gmail.com
Phone Number:+20 1116914868
Alexandria / Egypt
Copyright Deposit
No.:1737
+73
RACHEL 1942
Movie script
*
FADE IN
BLACK SCREEN
As the opening titles appear, we hear a song sung by a group
( VOICES OS)
"Pray, pray, pray, and whoever does
not pray—
*
his mother is Jewish and his father
is widowed"
CUT TO:
EXT. ADAM’S ALLEY – NIGHT
A slow FADE IN reveals an empty alley with ancient Ottoman-
style houses
The basalt-paved ground resembles the old streets of London
Thick fog blankets the alley
An old, flickering lamppost struggles to pierce the darkness
ON SCREEN TITLE
"Alexandria – El-Kabbari District – 1942"
From nearby, the call to prayer begins
*
*
(MUEZZIN VO)
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar
Ashhadu alla ilaha illa Allah
Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah
HASSANEIN (30s), in his Azhar robe, exits his house
He crosses the alley, murmuring a prayer as he heads into a
small zawiya (mosque)
HASSANEIN
(softly)
O Savior of the fearful, deliver us
from what we fear
We rely upon the Living who never
dies
2.
CUT TO:
INT. RACHEL’S APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Simple furniture A buffet holds a Jewish candelabrum
In the corner, a sewing machine with a pile of children’s
clothes and fabric ready for tailoring
On the couch, DAN, an infant, cries
The sound of DAN’S CRY fills the room
RACHEL (mid-20s), European features but plain, prepares food
on a small table, placing it into a food warmer
ELIAS (30s), thin, hollow cheeks, sunken eyes, enters, wiping
his face and hands
ELIAS
Good morning, Rachel Why is Dan
crying?
RACHEL
He’s hungry I’ll finish your meal,
then feed him
Elias goes to DAN, picks him up, and soothes him
Meanwhile, Rachel gathers the fabric and clothes into a large
cloth bag
CUT TO:
INT. LINDA’S APARTMENT – BEDROOM – NIGHT
A large wooden cross hangs on the wall above the bed
LINDA (20s), a beautiful European-featured woman, lies in bed
nursing her baby JACK
Beside her, WILSON (30s), a large, handsome man with a ruddy
face, wakes and smiles at her, then looks at Jack
WILSON
What time is it? Has the call for
dawn prayer begun?
LINDA
Yes, Wilson It’s four o’clock
Wilson looks at Jack in amazement
3.
WILSON
Strange how Jack always wakes
hungry at the same time
LINDA
I think he loves the voice of the
muezzin
He smiles whenever he hears it
WILSON
I love it too That man’s voice is
deep eternal
Wilson rises from bed and heads toward the door
CUT TO:
EXT. ADAM ALLEY – NIGHT
ELIAS steps out of his house, carrying a cloth bag his wife
RACHEL prepared for him on one shoulder and a small case on
the other.
HASSANIN emerges from the corner. They meet in the middle of
the alley.
HASSANIN
Traveling north or south?
ELIAS
East... Port Said.
HASSANIN
May God bless you, guide you, and
soften hearts toward you.
Elias continues out of the alley.
Hassanin enters the house Elias just left.
CUT TO:
INT. RACHEL’S APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM – DAY
RACHEL sits at a sewing machine, stitching children’s
clothes.
LINDA and FATMA sit on a couch, each rocking her baby.
DAN, Rachel’s child, sleeps on the opposite couch.
4.
The sewing machine rattles.
RACHEL
What are you feeding us today,
Fatma?
FATMA
It’s Sunday… Linda’s turn.
Linda glances at Fatma with a smile, then at Rachel with
mischief.
LINDA
Wilson says the Germans reached El
Alamein.
Just a few days and they’ll enter
Alexandria.
RACHEL
Don’t scare me, Linda… That madman
Hitler,
if he enters Alexandria, he’ll burn
us in gas chambers.
FATMA
God protect us… Every day I die of
fear from the air raids.
I keep thinking—if we die, who will
raise the kids?
We’re alone… no family, no support.
You must swear to me… if one of us
dies,
the others will raise her children
as their own.
And I’ll start: I swear to God, if
one of you dies,
I’ll be a mother to her child—raise
him,
grow him, and make him like my own
Omar.
RACHEL
And I swear to God I’ll care for
your children if anything happens
to you.
LINDA
I swear to God I’ll raise Dan and
Omar if harm comes to either of
you.
CUT TO:
*
5.
INT. LINDA’S APARTMENT – DINING ROOM – NIGHT
WILSON sits at the head of the dining table.
Across from him is LINDA.
HASSANIN sits beside his wife FATMA.
ELIAS sits opposite them, with RACHEL by his side.
They all share dinner.
WILSON
I’ve decided to move to a
neighborhood far from the port.
I spoke to a broker to find me a
place in Moharram Bey.
HASSANIN
And your job at the school?
You’ll come every day from Moharram
Bey to El-Kabari?
ELIAS
The tram is there.
Find me something too, Wilson… but
in the same building.
RACHEL
And what about my customers?
And Linda’s work? She works in Ras
El-Tin hospital.
She’ll need the tram every day.
LINDA
Your customers can come to you by
tram.
And I’ll take the tram every day
for my work.
CUT TO:
INT. LINDA’S APARTMENT – SALON – NIGHT
WILSON, ELIAS, and HASSANIN sit in the salon, sipping coffee.
WILSON smokes his pipe, while Elias and Hassanin smoke
cigarettes.
WILSON
Egypt is paying the price for a war
that isn’t hers.
6.
HASSANIN
Tell that to Churchill.
ELIAS
They’re all thieves,
their eyes set on the wealth of the
East.
Wilson looks at them, then at the smoke rising from his pipe.
WILSON
Germany and Japan will lose the
war.
The sun will set on Britain…
and America will replace it.
America is the new colonizer,
and the world map will change.
ELIAS
And us?
WILSON
Who do you mean by “us”?
The Egyptians, or the Jews?
HASSANIN
Elias is Egyptian.
WILSON
He has a choice—
either to stay in Egypt, or…
HASSANIN (INTERRUPTING)
But what if Hitler enters
Alexandria?
He’s in El-Alamein now.
WILSON
He will do to the Jews
what he did in Germany and every
land he entered.
ELIAS
And the solution?
WILSON
A homeland will be established for
you in Palestine.
ELIAS (ANGRILY)
Wilson, don’t say “for you.”
Yes, I’m a Jew—
but a devout one.
(MORE)
7.
ELIAS (CONT'D)
I don’t believe in the creation of
the State of Israel.
Hassanin looks at Elias with gratitude.
HASSANIN
So what will you do if Hitler
enters Alexandria?
ELIAS
I’ll emigrate to Poland.
WILSON (CONFIDENTLY)
But Hitler will never enter it.
CUT TO:
*
INT. FATMA’S APARTMENT – BEDROOM – NIGHT
HASSANIN sleeps in bed.
FATMA sits on a chair by the window, nursing OMAR.
Air raid sirens wail.
Hassanin wakes up in terror, jumping out of bed.
HASSANIN
O Merciful One, save us from what
we fear, O God… O Fatma!
CUT TO:
INT. STAIRCASE (OUTSIDE FATMA’S APARTMENT) – NIGHT
Fatma comes out carrying OMAR on her shoulder, followed by
HASSANEIN holding a flashlight to light their way. At the
same moment, RACHEL emerges from the next apartment holding
DAN, with ELIAS behind her. LINDA appears clutching JACK in
fear, followed by WILSON.
They all rush down the stairs in panic as the sound of
explosions gets closer.
SOUND OF EXPLOSIONS
CUT TO:
8.
INT. SHELTER – NIGHT
A large number of residents are gathered with their children,
fear clear on the children’s faces
Rachel holds DAN. Elias, Linda with JACK, Wilson, Fatma
holding OMAR, and Hassanein are huddled together, as if
protecting one another
SOUND OF EXPLOSIONS
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR – DAY
The corridor is completely empty
LOUD SCHOOL BELL RINGS
Suddenly, students rush out of the classrooms, running
through the corridor
HASSANEIN comes out of one classroom wearing his Azharite
attire. He meets WILSON, who exits the neighboring classroom
in a full suit with an English hat on his head
WILSON
There’s a whole empty house. I
spoke to the owners — we can take
three apartments
HASSANEIN
Then we move as soon as Fatma gets
back on her feet
WILSON
What’s wrong with Madam Fatma?
HASSANEIN
She’s very weak
WILSON
Linda must take leave from the
hospital and dedicate herself to
her
CUT TO:
9.
INT. FATMA’S APARTMENT (BEDROOM) – DAY
Fatma lies in bed. LINDA, in her nurse uniform, places a cold
compress on her forehead.
Next to them, RACHEL sits with DAN on one knee, JACK on the
other, while OMAR nurses at her chest.
LINDA
I can’t leave Fatma and go with you
to vaccinate the children
FATMA
Wait for one of the men to go with
you, Rachel
RACHEL (CONFIDENTLY))
All the men are at work. I won’t
struggle — I’ll take little Susan
with me
CUT TO:
EXT. ADAM'S ALLEY – DAY
RACHEL exits the house door accompanied by SUSAN, a young
woman in her twenties, who is carrying JACK, while RACHEL
carries DAN and OMAR. They cross the alley.
CUT TO:
INT. FATIMA'S HOUSE (BEDROOM - LIVING ROOM) - NIGHT
FATIMA is in her bed. LINDA hands her medicine, then takes
her temperature. In a reassuring tone,
LINDA (TO FATIMA)
You're much better every day. Keep
up the good work.
HASSANEIN and WILSON are sitting in the living room.
SOUND of knocking on the apartment door.
HASSANEIN goes to open the door. We see ELIAS at the door,
carrying a cloth bag.
ELIAS
Is Rachel here?
10.
HASSANEIN
Come in. She's probably feeding the
kids.
ELIAS enters and sits in the living room.
ELIAS
She went alone. It's no use, she's
stubborn.
WILSON
Rachel is a strong, struggling
woman.
CUT TO:
EXT. ADAM'S ALLEY - NIGHT
FROM a sign reading (ADAM'S ALLEY) above a wall at the
entrance of the alley TO RACHEL, carrying DAN and OMAR, and
beside her SUSAN, carrying JACK, entering the alley. Before
they reach the house, air raid sirens blare, and they freeze
in place, looking at the house, waiting for LINDA and FATIMA
to come out.
SOUND of air raid sirens.
A BOMB falls on the house, turning it into rubble.
RACHEL stares at the house in shock while SUSAN hands her
JACK and runs towards a nearby house.
RACHEL hugs the three children tightly, tears welling in her
eyes.
The residents of the alley emerge from their homes, gathering
around her, looking at the collapsed house, then at the three
children in her arms.
RACHEL leaves the alley, carrying the three children, passing
under the (ADAM'S ALLEY) sign.
CUT TO:
ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE of destroyed Alexandria homes and citizens
migrating, carrying their belongings on carts pulled by
donkeys and mules as they leave the city.
CUT TO:
Comments
An explosive and strangely…
An explosive and strangely very personal script. It is evident the author is speaking from experience in these situations. Considering the historical moment in which we are all trapped, this is an important document.
RACHEL1942
In reply to An explosive and strangely… by Robin Kaczmarczyk
Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment. It means a great deal to me that you felt the personal and historical weight of this story.
The opening part of this story came from a real story my grandmother told my mother years later. My mother was born in Alexandria in October 1942, during the bombing of the city. After she grew up, my grandmother told her about a remarkable encounter on a freight train as they fled Alexandria. That story stayed with me for many years, and I imagined the rest of the journey.
At that time, Alexandria was home to people of many faiths and nationalities who lived side by side. Preserving that memory of humanity and coexistence was one of my main reasons for writing this screenplay.
Thank you again for your generous words and encouragement.
Best regards,
Khaled Omar
The writer does a great job…
The writer does a great job of creating a sense of the fear and uncertainty within a community faced with the probability of imminent conflict. I like how the different traditions are brought together in opposition to a common enemy. I would suggest another edit to rectify basic formatting issues.