The 2026 Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) is just around the corner. Marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Egypt, this year's SIFF features a special Egyptian Film Week, bringing stories from the banks of the Nile to audiences in Shanghai.

From the classic Cairo Station to the acclaimed Happy Birthday, generations of Egyptian filmmakers have captured the city's unique rhythm – its bustling streets, historic attractions, vibrant neighborhoods and the ever-present Nile.

Like the Huangpu River in Shanghai and the Nile in Cairo, rivers have shaped not only cities, but also the stories they tell. Seventy years after China and Egypt established diplomatic ties, the two river cities meet through cinema, where cultures flow and connect beyond borders. 

(Photos via VCG)