This is the third film in director Tarik Saleh’s ‘Cairo Trilogy.’ Following his previous films, The Nile Hilton Incident (2017), which explored the 2011 Egyptian revolution (anti-authoritarian protests), and Boy from Heaven (2022), which uncovered the dark political intrigue behind the election of the Grand Imam, Saleh sharply depicted the downfall of cinema as a vehicle for glorifying absolute power. In this installment, the actor George, known as the ‘Pharaoh of the Screen,’ accepts a role in a presidential biopic praising the Egyptian leader. On top of that, he is chosen to deliver a speech at a military parade in honor of the president. But things take an unexpected turn, and he soon finds himself entangled in a crisis on the verge of explosion. Starting with a satire of the film industry and a star’s messy personal drama, Saleh skillfully shifts the weight of the film into a tense political thriller. Actor Fares Fares, who appeared in the previous two films as a lonely police officer and a cunning national security investigator, now transforms into a beloved national actor and gives a powerful performance. As the director’s cinematic persona, he physically embodies the tragedy caused by corrupt power.
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