Triangle of Love is an ode to Maha El Shenawy’s beautiful life, a film director and professor at the Higher Institute of Cinema, and her son, Mostafa Bahgat, by the director Alaa Mahmoud. The film premiered at CIFF this year. It talks about the harsh and sweet moments of the journey that many cancer patients and their families go through. Triangle of Love becomes the first film of its kind that tells the story of the family and friends of a cancer patient, and how they feel during this long and arduous journey, and after it ends.
A Heartfelt Story
Triangle of Love follows Alaa and Mostafa as they open up about love and pain after the woman who once bound them together passed away. As they speak of their feelings that had long been unspoken. With each moment, the film returns to a time when Maha was still with them, showing us Maha’s cancer journey with her family surrounding her.
Alaa Mahmoud
The director, Alaa Mahmoud, tells the story of how both she and Maha became “Maha and Alaa”. One day, Maha gave Alaa a paper filled with a summary of her life since her mother’s death till she was diagnosed with cancer. Alaa then decided to film Maha’s journey to recovery. She filmed Maha from 2016 to 2025, spanning 10 consecutive years. Alaa Mahmoud wasn’t just the director of the film but also the one who recorded all the footage with one camera, making the process intimate and comfortable for Maha’s family members.
Maha El Shenamy’s family
The film gives us an inside glimpse into Maha El Shenamy’s family. It opens with Maha’s birthday, a celebration shared between only Maha’s loved ones, making us feel the intimacy and love in the scene. The film draws the audience directly into the everyday life of Maha and her family. Like the many doctors’ appointments, which are filled with complex feelings and decisions that every cancer patient and their family experience. The camera centers on Maha, capturing her in moments of both strength and fragility. Triangle of Love shows us the good times and small celebrations, and milestones that shouldn’t be forgotten in the middle.
Mostafa Bahgat
Mostafa Bahgat poses many questions that many family members may feel towards a family member who they have lost. Hedoubts himself and that his mother might have passed away without spending enough time with her. He expresses how he feels he should have been there for her more. At the end, Alaa shares the paper that Maha gave her, setting Mostafa’s mind at ease. She shares that Maha knows how much Mostafa loves her. We see their endearing relationship unfolding through the film, a beautiful and quiet love.
A Heartfelt Ending
The film comes full circle at the end. We see the love and legacy that Maha left behind in her family and loved ones. As we watch Mostafa’s wedding come to life with love. In the wedding, we feel Maha’s love and presence in every frame. Through the memories carried by Mostafa, her husband, her students, and Alaa, her legacy continues to grow. Making Triangle of Love an ode to Maha El Shenawy’s beautiful life that won’t be forgotten.