In Cairo Cats, cats are the motif that provide the spine of the story as well as the allegory for the disenfranchised Egyptians. The narrative is driven by the filmmaker's narration and hangs loosely on her relationship with feral cats that she has cared. The filmmaker, Kamal-Eldin, is the main character, who documents her daily life as she casts a critical look at contemporary Cairo. She bemoans the deterioration of Cairo that she witnessed over a few decades. “It’s hard to believe Egypt was one of the greatest civilizations in the world,” she laments. “Only a hundred years ago, Cairo was considered a grand, cosmopolitan city. What happened?”
Kamal-Eldin’s critique is geared to more recent times, the benchmark being the failed revolution of the Arab Spring, a decade ago. Although Egyptians deposed President Mubarak, they were left with even more autocratic leadership. More entrenched than ever, the military regime now controls the political and economic landscape with an iron fist. Due to the mismanagement of the economy as well as the overpopulation, many Egyptians are impoverished. Yet despite their bleak conditions, Kamal-Eldin points out that many Egyptians retain their humanity and sense of humor.

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