In short, The Simple and Straightford Cairo murders The story of innocent people caught up in the power games of modern Egypt is interesting. But it starts in A star is born Mode. Adam (Tawfiq Barhoum), a provincial resident, teaches aspiring scholars at Cairo’s Al-Azhar University, the world’s most prestigious center of Islamic learning. “God bless you!” The terrified taxi driver yelled at the tower.
Choose a smart broom. Childish and dangerous, the character is desperate to get the best of himself, here he is, giving recitations of the Qur’an forever. But not men, as the death of the university chaplain proves. The vacancy at the head of such an important institution will not last long. There was a priest they wanted to see near the army; Adam, who the colonel hires as an Al-Azhar informant, has a supporting role. We will not forget those who work for us. Meek people can hear both sides.
Filmmaker Tarek Saleh takes a close look at the everyday minutiae of organized religion. (In one of the first scenes, we see him sitting in the imam’s mosque in Adam’s hometown.) He is also adept at quelling a riot in downtown Cairo, where Talib is summoned to meet his boss. But the film’s biggest shocker is the common theme it finds in both worlds: military barracks and hallowed offices filled with battles for office.
If the narrative gets too heavy-handed at times, Salih brings an uncanny clarity to suggest an ongoing consensus among Egypt’s generals and clerics to protect each other’s positions. (This film was shot in Turkey and Sweden). And revealing to Adam the hard truth he had learned about faith and government, he gave him his best phrase: “Does my Lord harm what I believe?” he said.
★★★★ ☆
In UK cinemas April 14
