CAIRO CONSPIRACY/BOY FROM HEAVEN

Sweden, 2022, 120 minutes, Colour.

Tawfeek Barhom, Fares Fares, Mohammad Bakri, Makram Khoury, Mehdi Dehbi. Moe Ayoub.

Directed by Tarik Saleh.

This drama, set in Egypt, has been directed by Tarik Saleh, born in Sweden, with an Egyptian father. His young star, Tawfeek Barhom, is Palestinian. His older star, Fares Fares, is Swedish-Lebanese. With its critical perspective on political and religious intrigue, the film was shot in Turkey. Initially, the screenplay (which won the award for Best Screenplay in Cannes 2022) was creative fiction – but, during production, it seemed to echo aspects of power struggles in contemporary Cairo during the presidency of Abdul Fattah Al Sisi.

The original title of the film is Boy from Heaven. But, to capitalise on box office success (and the film has been successful), the more edgy title, Cairo Conspiracy was chosen. It is useful to look at the film from the differing perspective of each title.

The Boy from Heaven is Adam, a fisherman with his brothers and his father in a remote Egyptian village. His father is strict, ready to punish each of his sons for the fence of one, beatings. He is close to the local Imam, reads, has reflected on Islam, and is awarded a scholarship to the Al Azhar University in Cairo, eager, settling in, meeting the fellow students, attending the classes on Islamic theology, sharia law, a simple and devout man. Al-Azhar is the centre for Sunni Islam and Its Theology. His direction in life seems straightforward.

But then the perspective of Cairo Conspiracy takes over. Adam is befriended by a fellow student, treated suspiciously by another group, is taken out on the town, enjoying dancing at a club, urged to drink. In fact, Adam is being recruited to being a spy for the government. The Grand Imam has died and there is jockeying for his successor, a reputable blind Imam who is arrested and imprisoned. The government has its own candidate.

Into the picture comes the head of security, consulting with government officials, setting in motion a plan for achieving ambitions, relying on Adam’s friendly student as an informer – who is then murdered, Adam watching.

The security colonel, Ibrahim, a complex performance from Fares Fares, sometimes sympathetic, other times exasperated, other times threatening and violent, more and more controlling of Adam who wants to please. He is threatened by the Colonel concerning surgery for his father’s health, becoming more and more entangled with a subversive, Muslim Brotherhood group of students. He also becomes the assistant, contrived by the authorities, to another potential candidate to be Grand Imam, strict in his interpretation of law and morals, but having hidden personal secrets.

To this extent, the film is about a conspiracy to corrupt the Boy from Heaven.

The photography is striking, scenes of Cairo, busy streets and neighbourhoods, but, especially the views of the university itself, the students and the lectures.

This film takes us into an experience of Egyptian culture, the role of Islam and its influence, governments and dictatorship, political power and intrigues, intricacies of conspiracies and Adam becoming a victim, a willing victim, and a puzzle about his future.

1. The two titles? The commercial title? The thematic title?
2. The writer-director, Egyptian background, Swedish background? Fictitious events, coinciding with reality in Egypt during the 2010s, having to film in Turkey? The film is a fiction – but a commentary on Egypt, politics, religious politics?
3. The opening, the village, the sea, fishing, the father and his sons? Home life, severe discipline and beatings? The local Imam, Adam and his religious interests, reading, gaining the scholarship? The response of his family?
4. The transition to Cairo, the vistas of the city, the various neighbourhoods, the streets, shops, the club with men only, dancing? The University, its reputation, Sunni Islam, the vast open spaces and courtyards, the towers, the rooms, accommodation? The atmosphere of living in the University?
5. The musical score, Egyptian music, songs, chanting?
6. Adam’s hopes, the young man, naive, religious, with the other students, some putdowns, the accommodation, the friendly student, urging him to go to the club, his response in the dancing, the drinking? The bond?
7. The religious situation, the death of the Grand Imam, speculation about his successor? From a religious perspective, from the University? From a political perspective on the government controlling the Grand Imam? The machinations, conspiracies, interventions, violence, exploitation and lack of scruple? And the various factions, the role of the Muslim Brotherhood?
8. The Colonel his personality, his role, the meeting with the political authorities, the plans for the succession, his using students, his spies, informants?
9. Adam, his friend, recruiting him, the tower, Adam watching his friend being murdered? The consequences?
10. Adam approached by the Colonel, smooth talk, Adam naive, believing, making friends with the Muslim Brotherhood group, insinuating himself, his response, learning to be conspiratorial?
11. The Colonel, his hold over Adam, his father’s illness, the promise of surgery, but also the threats? The ambiguities in the role of the Colonel? The meetings, the pretence of winning? The further meetings, direct?
12. The various candidates for Grand Imam, the Blind Imam, the Imam instructing the students, genial with his students? The Imam, Adam becoming his assistant, doing his messages, at the shops, the story about the baby, the background story of the Imam, his double standards, his relationship, and the severity of his lectures? Adam and his reporting back to the Colonel?
13. The encounters with the Blind Imam, his taking responsibility for the death of the murdered young man, his motivations? The impact for the Colonel and the government?
14. The ultimate working out of the conspiracy, the government meetings, their influence, particular individuals, the Colonel and his mission?
15. The consequences for Adam, his experience at the University, drawn into the conspiracy, the effect on him as a person, psychological, religious? And his return home?