Sarah Goher’s Happy Birthday might very well be the best underseen film from the past year.
It follows 8-year-old Toha over the course of a single day in Cairo and puts on full display the class divide and elitism that exist in Egypt and in much of the world.
Doha Ramadan is mesmerizing in the role. Just like the young protagonists of the early films by Kiarostami, Panahi, and Majidi, Toha tears your heart to pieces. Goher strikes a fine balance between painful and charming moments, ending the film on a deeply moving note.
Happy Birthday was the winner of Best International Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay, and the Nora Ephron Award at last year’s Tribeca Festival. It will screen at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 17.
