Egypt's "Happy Birthday" Makes History at Tribeca
Yara Sameh
Egyptian writer-director Sarah Goher's debut film "Happy Birthday" has won top prizes at the 24th Tribeca Film Festival.
The film won three awards in total: Best International Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature and the Nora Ephron Award, which honors exceptional female filmmakers.
The win marked a historical moment not just for Goher, but for Egyptian cinema.
The film was inspired by the director's personal experience as a child and explores the innocence of childhood amidst the complexities of modern society.
Set in Cairo, "Happy Birthday" follows Toha (played by newcomer Doha Ramadan), an eight-year-old girl working as a domestic maid in an upper-class household who is tasked to throw the perfect birthday party for her employer's daughter, Nelly, while secretly longing for a celebration of her own.
It was co-written by Goher and celebrated Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab, best known globally for his work on Marvel's "Moon Knight".
Diab also served as executive producer, helping steer the project from concept to festival debut.
It was produced by Ahmed El Desouky, Ahmed Abbas, and Ahmed Badawy, and notably backed by Hollywood heavyweights Jamie Foxx and Datari Turner, whose involvement is a sign of a growing interest in globally resonant stories grounded in regional specificity.
The creative team also includes cinematographer Seif El Din Khaled and editor Ahmed Hafez.
Nelly Karim, Hanan Motawie, and Hanan Youssef round out the cast.
The shot in Arabic and steeped in the sensory textures of Cairo life, "Happy Birthday" captivated Tribeca audiences and jurors alike. For Goher, the film marks a confident, compassionate debut.
Critics praised her directorial vision for its empathy and precision, with The Knockturnal describing "Happy Birthday" as 'the emotional highlight of the festival.'
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