How I, unwillingly, saved a bar through storytelling

Meet Wagdy, a 60-year old bartender manning one of Cairo’s oldest bars at Windsor Hotel. At the time I first met him in 2012, he had served at the venue for almost 35 years. He still works there today.

2 years after making this short film, I had a walk in Downtown, Cairo when it hit me that I hadn’t been to the Windsor bar since then. I walk in the bar, Wagdy welcomed me in, he didn’t recognize my face. Well, not at first.

After some small talk, he started to recognize me. I told him that around 2 years ago, I came in here and shot a video with him. “You’re Mr. Ibrahim?!”, Wagdy gasped. I was taken aback by his enthusiasm, we didn’t really hit it off as best friends, but his tone told me that something significant has changed ever since we last met.

See, upon the release of this short film in 2013, Egypt’s tourism industry, and Downtown Cairo venues in particular, took a hit. Graciously, Wagdy grabbed a chair and joined me at the empty bar. He started to tell me about the youngsters that come in, ask about him, tell him that they know him…