Boy from Heaven


Boy from Heaven, is a 2022 political thriller film written and directed by Tarik Saleh. It follows poor fisherman Adam, who, while studying at the prestigious Al-Azhar University, witnesses the political struggle to elect a Grand Imam. The film is a co-production between Sweden, France and Finland.
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival on 20 May, where it won the Best Screenplay award and the François Chalais Prize. It was selected as the Swedish entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards, but was not nominated.

Plot

Adam, the son of a fisherman from a village near El Manzala, accepts an offer to study at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. Shortly after his arrival, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar suddenly dies and a power struggle to replace him ensues. The NSA strives to install sheikh Beblawi, but he has two competitors: neutral sheikh Negm, who is blind, and a Salafi sheikh Durani.
Adam makes friends with Zizu, who is an informer for Colonel Ibrahim from the NSA. Zizu is soon killed, and Adam tries to help solve his murder by working for Ibrahim. He infiltrates a group of extremists and gathers information about them, but he learns that they had no involvement with the murder. Once the extremists realize his role, they attempt to kill Adam, but Ibrahim stops them and forces their leader to quit his position as Durani's assistant and turn it over to Adam.
Sheikh Negm turns himself in to the NSA and claims that he killed Zizu. The NSA is forced to arrest him despite knowing that he is not guilty. While doing menial tasks for Durani, Adam discovers that he has an illegitimate child, which disqualifies him. Sheikh Beblawi is elected Grand Imam.
Ibrahim's superior, Sobhi, orders him to kill Adam, revealing that NSA murdered Zizu too. Ibrahim is shocked and tries to help Adam to escape, but he is captured. Sobhi attempts to pressure Adam into confessing that he murdered Zizu. Ibrahim too gets arrested, but he manages to persuade General Sakran to arrange a meeting between Adam and Negm: Negm knows about NSA's role in Zizu's murder and plans to reveal it to the media during the trial; Ibrahim thinks that Adam can persuade Negm to reconsider. Adam succeeds and is let go.
Adam returns to his home village wearing al-Azhar's signature turban. He thanks his village imam, but is unable to say what he has learnt at the university. In the final scene of the film he joins his father in the fishing boat.

Production

The film was shot primarily at the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Release

The film had its world premiere on 20 May 2022 at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, where it was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or.
It was released in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia as Cairo Conspiracy.

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 85% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's consensus reads, "Although it may not fully unlock the promise of its tension-rich setting and premise, Cairo Conspiracys strong performances and sophisticated script offer solidly satisfying compensation". According to Metacritic, which assigned a weighted average score of 72 out of 100 based on 14 critics, the film received "generally favorable" reviews.

Accolades

The film was selected as the Swedish entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards, and made the December shortlist.
AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipientResult
Cannes Film Festival28 May 2022Best ScreenplayTarik SalehWon
Cannes Film Festival28 May 2022François Chalais PrizeTarik SalehWon
Cannes Film Festival28 May 2022Palme d'OrTarik SalehNomitated
César Awards24 February 2023Best Foreign FilmBoy from HeavenNomitated
Guldbagge Awards23 January 2023Best ScreenplayTarik SalehWon
Guldbagge Awards23 January 2023Best FilmKristina Åberg, Fredrik ZanderNomitated
Guldbagge Awards23 January 2023Best DirectorTarik SalehNomitated
Guldbagge Awards23 January 2023Best EditingTheis SchmidtNomitated
Guldbagge Awards23 January 2023Best Actor in a Leading RoleTawfeek BarhomNomitated
Guldbagge Awards23 January 2023Best Actor in a Supporting RoleFares FaresNomitated
Guldbagge Awards23 January 2023Best Costume DesignDenise ÖstholmNomitated
Lumière Awards16 January 2023Best International Co-ProductionBoy from HeavenNomitated
Magritte Awards4 March 2023Best Supporting ActorMehdi DehbiNomitated