Cairo Conspiracy

Fisherman's son Adam wants to achieve more in life than his father, so he seeks admission to the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of the most authoritative institutions in Sunni Islam. Thanks to a generous state grant, he succeeds. Soon he finds a friend in Zizo, who shows him around the university. Everything changes when the grand imam suddenly dies, not only head of the university but also its most important religious leader. About his succession, the Muslim brothers and the National Security Service turn out to have very different ideas, culminating in a sinister power struggle that costs Zizo his life. Adam, too, becomes increasingly involved against his will.

Swedish-Egyptian director Tarik Saleh, who previously made The Nile Hilton Incident, wrote the screenplay himself for this exciting mix of coming-of-age drama and spy thriller, a story about corruption and hypocrisy. It earned him the award for Best Screenplay at the last Cannes Film Festival.