Happy Birthday

In this poignant debut feature, eight-year-old Toha works as a child maid for a wealthy Cairo family and forms a special bond with her employer's daughter, Nelly. Having never celebrated her own birthday, Toha becomes determined to ensure Nelly has a perfect party, secretly hoping to experience the joy she's never known. As Toha's relationship with Nelly's mother, Laila, begins to transcend typical employer-servant boundaries, deep-rooted social hierarchies are threatened, forcing the young girl to confront the harsh realities of class division in modern Egypt.

Director Sarah Goher crafts a tender yet unflinching examination of privilege through a child's eyes, with Doha Ramadan delivering a heartbreaking performance as Toha. The film's intimate portrayal of innocence colliding with entrenched social structures offers a rare glimpse into contemporary Egyptian society while exploring the universal human desire for connection and celebration across socioeconomic divides.—Nanor Vosgueritchian