Hassan and Morcos October 16, 2008

The Arab world's greatest-ever film star Omar Sharif teams up for the first time with the Arab world's biggest box office draw Adel Imam in Hassan and Morcos, an often hilarious satire which attempts to tackle religious bigotry in Egypt. Directed by Ramy Imam, the film revolves around a Christian priest (Imam) and Muslim preacher (Sharif) who survive separate assassination attempts. Now on the run, the two men - who don't know each other - take refuge in a safe house in a downtown Cairo neighborhood and assume different identities, with Imam's character pretending to be a Muslim and Sharif a Christian.

As their friendship grows, so too does their new neighbourhood's dissatisfaction with the two men's closeness until events come to a head in a powerful climactic showdown. The film has already been one of the biggest hits in Egypt this year, where its subject matter has sparked a national debate on the tensions between the country's majority Muslim and minority Christian populations.

Official Website: http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/hassan_and_morcos