Looking for a President

 
This picture of the guys in a brown office was taken during a long Saturday night, in search of the new president of Egypt, Amro Moussa. This was the general opinion of my inner circle anyway. We blindly followed Sami from one dusty old government building to another for interviews with several close friends and ministers of Moussa’s. I was brought along to photograph the adventure for use in his campaign. In between a series of empty promises, lied an ominous gun in an unexpected office, and other strange moments—moments that paid homage to the Godfather, right down to the stodgy furniture and tacky wall art. This was amusing to me in a way that they probably wouldn’t understand (or appreciate). Nor would it matter if they did—it was real. What is it with all the portraits of yourself? Does government here really work this way? Is this really what the young martyrs had in mind? For their sake, I hope the fleeting impressions of an American photographer do not reflect a futility. Beneath the dated facade could be found some very decent and genuine people.