The sudden death of Michael Jackson sends a former King of Pop devotee — now a young imam — into a tailspin, in this tender and comedic film from Egyptian filmmaker Amr Salama.
CLOSING NIGHT SPECIAL PRESENTATION FILM!
June 25, 2009. Any Michael Jackson fan can tell you where they were on this date, the day the King of Pop died. Director and writer Amr Salama transports us back to that moment through the eyes — and the kaleidoscopic, MTV-inspired dreams — of a young imam (Ahmad Alfishawy), whose devout and devoted life is thrown into chaos by the passing of The Gloved One.
The tabloid event triggers memories of his teen years (rising star Ahmed Malek steps in here) when he worshiped everything Jacko did, from the Thriller-era haircut to the bondage pants from the Bad tour. But MJ's passing also stirs up emotions around the death of the young cleric's mother and its aftermath, when his gruff father (Maged El Kedwany) offered little support. With the sheikh's past increasingly encroaching onthe present, he begins to question not just how to moonwalk but what it means to be a man, to have faith, and to be true to oneself.
Told in a tender tone and with loving comic touches, Salama's latest looks at an everyday hero who has the courage to seek out how to live a meaningful life by starting with the man in the mirror.
KIVA REARDON
Screenings
Scotiabank 11
Scotiabank 14
Elgin Theatre
Scotiabank 2
Scotiabank 13