‘Happy Birthday’ review: A child maid wishes for a better life in affecting, sensitive Egyptian debut

Dir: Sarah Goher. Egypt. 2025. 91mins

A baby maid for a rich Cairo family, eight-year-old Toha (Doha Ramadan, a knockout in a demanding position) has a particular bond together with her mistress’s daughter, Nelly (Khadija Ahmed). It’s Toha’s dearest want to be accepted as a part of Nelly’s household, however within the meantime she places all her efforts into making certain that her buddy has the very best ninth celebration doable. Because the get together attracts close to, nonetheless, it turns into clear that Toha just isn’t welcome, on this affecting and sensitively-acted exploration of kid labour and sophistication divisions in modern Egypt. 

Perceptively detailed work

Chosen as Egypt’s official Oscar submission, Completely happy Birthday is the characteristic directing debut of Egyptian-American filmmaker Sarah Goher, who additionally co-writes together with her long-term collaborator, Mohamed Diab. They beforehand labored collectively on a number of different initiatives, with Goher producing Diab’s directorial debut, the multi-award-winning Cairo 678 (2010) and his two subsequent footage, Conflict (2016) and Amira (2021). Completely happy Birthday, which counts actor Jamie Foxx amongst its producers, premiered at Tribeca, the place it picked up prizes for Greatest Worldwide Narrative Function, Greatest Screenplay and the Nora Ephron Award, and now performs Tallinn as a part of a wholesome pageant run.

Nelly’s lifetime of privilege is lavish however precarious. Her mom, Laila (Nelly Karim), and father have just lately separated and the rooms of their opulent dwelling in an upscale gated group are stuffed with packing bins, prematurely of a transfer to a much less ostentatious property. However Nelly nonetheless desires a celebration, and wakes Toha early to customize final yr’s frock and make invites. Partly for her daughter’s sake, and partly as a last-ditch try to fix her fractured marriage, Laila agrees. Whereas Nelly is in school, Toha – who has toiled since she may stroll and by no means had the prospect to be taught to learn – excitedly shadows Laila and busies herself with the preparations. 

Toha is succesful and hardworking. However she’s nonetheless just a bit child. Cinematographer Seif El Din Khaled’s keen baby’s-eye-level lens hungrily explores the forbidden pleasures of the shopping center, the place Laila bulk-buys get together provides. Toha doesn’t discover (or maybe chooses to not) however there are hostile glances from store assistants when the little woman will get too near the expensive frocks. Toha’s pleasure in regards to the get together has a private dimension – Nelly has promised to avoid wasting a candle from the cake in order that Toha can borrow a birthday want. 

Then Toha’s sister arrives, claiming that their mom is within the hospital following an accident and has requested to see her. It’s a lie which is debunked as quickly as Toha will get dwelling, to seek out her mom frazzled, exhausted however unhurt. Due to perceptively detailed work by the design division, the distinction between the ethereal condo the place Toha works and her ramshackle household dwelling couldn’t be extra stark. The cluttered area is full of youthful siblings; garments and possessions are shared. And since her widowed mom and older sister eke a residing catching freshwater fish within the Nile, the stench of fish guts clings to every part. But, there’s an power and group within the chaotic markets and facet streets, each of that are missing within the sterile world behind the safety barrier the place Nelly lives. 

There’s a heartbreaking inevitability to the movie’s remaining act, by which the resourceful Toha manages to seek out her manner again to the celebration. Ramadan’s outstanding efficiency culminates in an outstanding prolonged single shot that rests on Toha’s face, lit by a single candle on the mangled stays of a birthday cake.