Ohio Premiere
Showings
Festival tickets go on sale March 18, with visionaries and members receiving early access for ticket purchase.
April 17, 2026
12:25 pm – 1:56 pm
Playhouse Square Campus
April 18, 2026
5:20 pm – 6:51 pm
Cedar Lee Theatre
About This Film
Festival Year: 2026
Run Time: 91 Minutes
Film Type: Feature
Animated: No
Genre: Drama
Countr(ies): Egypt
Language: Arabic
English Subtitles: Yes
Captions: Closed
Film Overview
TOHA, a child maid, goes against all odds to make sure her best friend NELLY, the daughter of her employer, has a birthday party in exchange for a candle to make a wish.
Caught in a pending divorce, LAILA, Nelly’s mom, is pressured by her mother to make this birthday party as a last resort to make amends with her husband.
Toha, who’s never had a birthday, spearheads the planning of Nelly’s party and becomes the driving force that allows for it to happen. In the process she bonds with Laila, the social boundaries between them blurred.
When an attempt to block Toha from attending the birthday by sending her back to her fishing village along the Nile fails, her unwelcomed presence unleashes a different side of the family. Jaded, Toha no longer understands where she exists within the classist paradigm she is subject to.
Programmer's Comment:
“You will absolutely love Toha’s grit and determination to celebrate.” – Samira
Film Contact: Skylimit Production
Film Email: ah.mdassist@gmail.com
Cast & Crew
Directed By
Sarah Goher
Produced By
Ahmed El Desouky
Screenwriting
Mohamed Diab, Sarah Goher
Cinematographers
Seif Eldin Khaled
Editors
Ahmed Hafez
Principal Cast
Doha Ramadan, Nelly Karim, Hanan Motawie, Hanan Youssef