Me, My daughter and Love
Quoting the novel (Lolita) by Vladimir Nabokov, the film revolves around (Ahmed), who owns a hotel in Alexandria and falls in love with (Siham) and her teenage daughter Sahar, with whom he retrieves memories from his childhood, and after leaving Alexandria, Ahmed travels to Cairo, and there the conflict between mother and daughter revolves around Ahmed's love.
Working with a modest budget of $3.3M, the film achieved a steady performer with $4.8M in global revenue (+45% profit margin).
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Me, My daughter and Love (1974) exhibits deliberately positioned narrative architecture, characteristic of Mohammad Radi's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 46 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes A father and daughter are shown in their daily routine, establishing their close but simple life together in modest circumstances.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when The daughter receives an opportunity for education or a relationship that would take her away from her father, or a suitor appears who could provide her with a better life.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to The father decides to encourage his daughter to pursue the opportunity, or the daughter decides to pursue her chance at a better life despite her guilt about leaving her father., moving from reaction to action.
At 53 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat A moment of apparent success or happiness where it seems the daughter can have both her new life and her relationship with her father, but underlying tensions remain unaddressed., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 80 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, A crisis occurs: the father falls ill, a misunderstanding drives them apart, or the daughter must make an impossible choice that seems to mean losing either her father or her future., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 85 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. A revelation or reconciliation occurs where both father and daughter understand that their love doesn't require physical proximity or sacrifice of dreams, but mutual respect and support., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Me, My daughter and Love's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Me, My daughter and Love against these established plot points, we can identify how Mohammad Radi utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Me, My daughter and Love within the romance genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional romance films include South Pacific, Last Night and Diana.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
A father and daughter are shown in their daily routine, establishing their close but simple life together in modest circumstances.
Theme
A neighbor or friend comments on the father's dedication, hinting that real love means letting go and wanting what's best for the other person, even when it's difficult.
Worldbuilding
We learn about the father's struggles as a single parent, the daughter's dreams and aspirations, and their financial difficulties. Their bond is strong but their circumstances are limiting.
Disruption
The daughter receives an opportunity for education or a relationship that would take her away from her father, or a suitor appears who could provide her with a better life.
Resistance
The father wrestles with conflicting emotions: his desire to keep his daughter close versus wanting her to have opportunities he cannot provide. The daughter is torn between duty to her father and her own future.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The father decides to encourage his daughter to pursue the opportunity, or the daughter decides to pursue her chance at a better life despite her guilt about leaving her father.
Mirror World
A new relationship or mentor figure enters the story who represents the daughter's potential future, showing both father and daughter what life could be like with different choices.
Premise
The daughter explores her new opportunities while maintaining her connection to her father. Both experience the bittersweet nature of growth and change, navigating their evolving relationship.
Midpoint
A moment of apparent success or happiness where it seems the daughter can have both her new life and her relationship with her father, but underlying tensions remain unaddressed.
Opposition
Complications arise as the daughter's two worlds prove incompatible. The father's pride or the daughter's guilt creates distance. External pressures or societal expectations create additional conflict.
Collapse
A crisis occurs: the father falls ill, a misunderstanding drives them apart, or the daughter must make an impossible choice that seems to mean losing either her father or her future.
Crisis
Father and daughter separately reflect on what truly matters. Each confronts their fears and realizes that love means supporting the other's happiness, even through sacrifice.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
A revelation or reconciliation occurs where both father and daughter understand that their love doesn't require physical proximity or sacrifice of dreams, but mutual respect and support.
Synthesis
The father and daughter work together to resolve the situation in a way that honors both their bond and the daughter's future. They demonstrate their growth and newfound understanding.
Transformation
A closing image mirrors the opening but shows transformation: the father and daughter together but with new understanding, or separated but connected by mature love that transcends distance.