???? AT THE MOVIES-

Calling all Marvel fans: The latest Marvel hit kicks off phase five of the franchise with a bang. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hit screens over the past week to positive reception from critics, with many — including the Hollywood Reporter — saying it marks a new, more “narratively focused” era for the franchise. The film sees the grand entry of Marvel’s newest villain — Kang the Conqueror, played by Joanathan Majors, whose performance critics say is one of the highlights of the movie. The film’s plot sees Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly return as Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne as they face new challenges in the daunting Quantum Realm (watch, runtime: 2:19).

WHERE TO CATCH IT- The movie is showing in Galaxy Cinemas, Vox, Plaza, Arkan and Point90.

Catch this Naguib Mahfouz classic at Zawya: Adapted from a Naguib Mahfouz novel, Bidaya wa Nihaya is a 1960s film centered on an Egyptian family that has to find ways to make ends meet after the father’s sudden death. The film stars Omar Sharif, Amina Rizk, Sanaa Gamil and Farid Shawqi, and offers a powerful exploration of poverty and Egyptian society in the ‘30s. The movie features breakout performances from the cast of Egyptian cinema icons, and a shockingly memorable ending symbolic of the struggles of the working class at the time. The film was nominated for the Grand Prix at the Moscow International Film Festival in 1961.

WHERE TO CATCH IT- The film is showing today and 27 Friday at Zawya Cinemas at 7pm, as part of the cinema’s Naguib Mahfouz Festival. You can book your tickets online through elcinema’s website.

???? FROM THE BOOKSTORE-

How an applied science graduate became one of the most influential content creators in the Middle East: The wildly popular El Daheeh — co-founded by Ahmed El Ghandour and Mohamed Hosam — has amassed more than 1 bn views on Youtube, thanks to episodes that brilliantly combine sarcasm and educational content in a bid make scientific topics more accessible. Al Da7ee7: Behind the Scenes, written by Taher Al-Moataz Billah, delves into the fascinating success story of the show’s host, El Ghandour, who started his journey as a bioinformatics student at AUC. The book digs into his backstory, distinct character and how he became a household name. It also got some decent reviews on Goodreads.

IF YOU’VE NEVER SEEN EL DAHEEH, we suggest you start with his snapshot of the history of inflation in Europe (watch, runtime: 9:02). About halfway into the episode, we were completely absorbed into the story and forgot it was even about inflation — making for a fun and memorable deep-dive into the topic. If you’d like an intro into who El Ghandour is and how he got to where he is today, read the book and watch this short BBC profile (watch, runtime: 2:05).

???? HOT AND FRESH OUT OF THE KITCHEN-

Looking for a lowkey spot for a weekend hangout with friends? Karakeib has you covered. The cafe — known to Dokki residents as one of the very busy spots in the famous Amman square — opened its doors in Sheikh Zayed’s 360 mall a few years ago, with both branches retaining their reputations as great, down-to-earth spots where you can hang out with friends without breaking the bank. It has two perks we love: It’s pet-friendly — and has great shisha. It also has a delicious hummus al sham that is perfect for a cold winter night. We recommend their chicken sweet and sour dish and their shawerma for a filling main course, and their tres leches for dessert.

???? Per person: Around EGP 500, including shisha, a drink and dessert

???? Alcohol? No

???? Outdoor seating? Yes

???? Accessibility friendly? Yes