Excuse my French

After the sudden death of his father, Hany and his mother are forced to swap their privileged lives for a more modest existence. That includes Hany attending a rough state school. When he is innocently assumed to be a Muslim, Hany goes along with the deception for fear of being bullied by his classmates, already mistrustful of his formerly rich background. It took Salama more than five years to get his film made, such is the sensitivity of Christian-Muslim relations in Egypt. But he eschews didacticism and polemics to fashion a charming look at the growing up in Egypt. The film was a surprise hit at the Egyptian box office earlier this year, a testament to its crowd-pleasing potential.