Whatever Lola Wants
North Africa & the Metropole • 1h 50m
Directed by Nabil Ayouch • Drama • With Laura Ramsey, Assaad Bouab • 2007 • 115 minutes
Lola (Laura Ramsey) is struggling to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer in New York, but the rejections are piling up. On top of it all, her day job as a mail carrier is beginning to look more and more like a permanent gig. By chance, during one of many evenings she spends commiserating with Yussef, her gay Egyptian neighbor, she's captivated when he shows her an old video featuring the seductive belly dancing of Ismahan, one of Egypt's biggest stars. Fate soon intervenes and through a series of twists, Lola finds herself in Cairo, where she decides to track down the reclusive Ismahan for lessons. This modern-day, global fairytale offers plenty of dancing, sparkling costumes, and a rousing soundtrack.
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