Award Screening: Best International Narrative Feature

Award Screening: Best International Narrative Feature

Awards Screenings
Feature | 95 MINUTES

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

* Rush Tickets will be offered at venues when advanced tickets for a screening or event are no longer available (EXCLUDES: Beacon Theatre and United Palace).
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.
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