Written and Directed by Tarik Saleh
Starring Tawfeek Barhom, Fares Fares, Mohammad Bakri, Makram Khoury

When the son of a fisherman gets an opportunity to study at a ludicrously upper-class university, only to find himself as the middleman between state powers, what could possibly go wrong? Well, the answer is a lot – especially if you’re a westerner who doesn’t quite understand the customs and traditions of the Sunni’s.

Adam (Barhom, the fisherman’s son), a model student who does what he’s told and doesn’t buck up when the going gets tough, finds himself at the centre of it all as he arrives at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the epicentre of power in Sunni Islam. ­The school is drenched in culture and Adam is a rather quiet character, remaining silent for around 80 per cent of the film’s runtime. As a viewer of Cairo Conspiracy, the ‘Cairo’ part makes sense immediately. But only after the religious leader of the school is found dead and we see Adam heralded in by the state department to sus the entire thing out, does the ‘conspiracy’ thing really come together.

The first half of the film is both a build-up of the plot and a crash course of the religion. We’re often left in a cloud of mystery since Adam is our pilot and he doesn’t ask questions. For good reason, I should add. So we go along for the ride, patiently waiting for some lingering treachery to happen, which happens quite often.

The use of silence throughout the two-hour film aids and abets the tension that’s curated, as trust dissipates and confidence in our own presumptions grows. Ultimately, silence becomes this film’s most powerful weapon. Speaking of silence, I developed a real bond with Adam, as I crossed my fingers and just hoped that his go-with-the-flow sensibilities didn’t get the better of him. I felt everything he was feeling. The fear was palpable, the tension exquisite, and the corruption disgusting. 

The genre of Cairo Conspiracy takes a little bit to figure out. There’s momentary humour and swaths of heartbreak and betrayal. About halfway through I realised that this was my favourite type of movie: a thriller. It’s such a slow burn as the pieces come together to form what are truly intricate goings-on behind the scenes, and it builds the cornerstones of investment through intrigue, investment, and awe. The slightest actions have overwhelming consequences, so when so much as one word is said out of place, the stakes skyrocket astronomically without much really changing. Even the biggest twists in the movie are presented through insinuation. It’s a wonderful payoff for a viewer once they soak in and start living the scenes alongside this poor fisherman’s son.

Cairo Conspiracy is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from May 4th.

Moviedoc thanks Rialto Distribution and Annette Smith: Ned & Co for providing a screener link to watch and review this film.

Reviewed by Zak Wheeler for Moviedoc

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