the flashbacks position yehia at some key moments in egyptian history: participating as a youth in riots against british forces in egypt; starring in and directing a film which alludes to the 1958 "cairo station"; fruitlessly seeking euro-american approval for his work at the cannes film festival and in new york, but winning a prize at the inaugural moscow international film festival; and making a film about the battle of algiers (1956–57), perhaps alluding to the 1966 movie "the battle of algiers". the film portrays an ageing yehia getting into trouble with censors, yet insisting on continuing to shoot his banned film, during which he has his heart attack.