Tallin Black Nights Film Festival Will Screen Two Egyptian Films

Two Egyptian feature films have been selected for the official competition at the 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival: Sarah Goher’s Happy Birthday and Abu Bakr Shawky’s The Stories.

'Happy Birthday' is Egypt’s submission to the Oscars. It tells the story of Toha, an eight-year-old girl who works as a maid for a wealthy family in Cairo. Determined to celebrate her friend Nelly’s birthday, Toha’s efforts become a powerful exploration of class divides through the innocent eyes of childhood. The film has already received three awards at the Tribeca Film Festival: Best International Narrative Feature, the Nora Ephron Award, and Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature.

The Stories, directed by Abu Bakr Shawky and produced by Mohamed Hefzy’s Film Clinic, stars both Nelly Karim and Amir El Masry, and follows the long-distance friendship between an aspiring Egyptian pianist and his Austrian pen pal from 1967 through the 1980s. The film follows their shared dream of him becoming a concert pianist while navigating themes of war, family, and personal triumphs. This would be the film’s first appearance in festivals.

Both films will play for the festival’s top honours when Tallinn runs from November 7 to 23.