Netflix’s Catalog Looks at Fatherhood, Grief, and Growing Up in Cairo

Netflix’s latest Arabic drama, Catalog, is not about big moments. It’s about the quiet ones. A father learning to comb his daughter’s hair. A son finding peace in a game of football. A family trying to stay whole after a sudden loss.

Premiering July 17, Catalog tells a deeply human story about parenting, grief, and the people who show up when things fall apart.

A Sudden Shift into Single Fatherhood

The series centres on Yousef, played by Mohamed Farrag, who is left to raise two children alone after his wife Amina dies unexpectedly.

• Yousef struggles with everyday parenting tasks.
• His teenage daughter, Karima, is grieving in her way.
• Young Mansour finds solace in football.
• Amina’s old YouTube parenting videos become a surprising source of help.

Yousef doesn’t know how to be both mother and father. But then he finds Amina’s online parenting videos. They become more than advice—they’re a lifeline. In every clip, she’s talking to him, guiding him, helping him stay afloat.

The Support System Around Them

Catalog isn’t just about one man. It’s about the web of people who step in when things fall apart.

• Om Hashem, the nanny, keeps things from unravelling
• Osama, Amina’s brother, offers sarcasm and reluctant support
• Hanafy, Yousef’s brother, becomes a second father to Mansour
• Miss Howaida, the teacher, becomes emotionally close to the family
• George, the neighbour, helps in quiet, steady ways

Each of these characters adds weight to the story. They remind us that parenting isn’t always a solo job. Sometimes, it’s a community effort.

Grief, One Day at a Time

Set in modern-day Cairo, Catalog doesn’t shy away from grief. However, it also doesn’t dwell on it.

• Shows how grief changes day by day
• Highlights the mundane details of parenting
• Offers moments of humour and awkwardness amid sadness

From school plays to forgotten lunchboxes, the show strikes a balance between heaviness and the rhythm of daily life. It shows how loss isn’t a clean break. It’s messy. It’s slow. But there’s movement.

The show features a strong cast of Egyptian talent

• Mohamed Farrag as Yousef
• Riham Abdel Ghafour as Amina (in guest appearances)
• Tara Emad as Miss Howaida
• Khaled Kamal, Bayoumi Fouad, Samah Anwar, and others round out the cast

Every actor brings something grounded to their role. There are no heroes here, just people trying to figure things out.

Summary

Catalog is a quiet story. It doesn’t shout. But it says something important: parenting is hard. Grief is confusing. And healing takes a village. For those who have lost someone or felt lost in parenting, Catalog might feel like being seen.

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