OK I have some THOUGHTS Y'ALL.

- UNICORN STORE does it better but the fact that this Festival has (thus far) employed Michael Jackson and unicorns as fantasy avatars of our best inner selves, which heroes/heroines must seek to nurture and enshrine in their quest for self-love, has me smiling.

- I can fully understand why this film couldn't work out the licensing rights but this movie would be epically improved with a few well-placed actual-Michael-Jackson songs instead of the various simulacra within. Again, even the STRANGER THINGS team barely licensed Jackson this year so I get it, and there are some inspired choices to get around the problem, but... some of these scenes would FLY with their intended song…

my thoughts are everywhere. here are some:

- yes, the film would have been so much better had they gained the rights to use michael jackson’s songs, but i kind of liked how you got to see the past self’s love for jackson from an observer’s perspective and you don’t get to see everything he’s experiencing and you get to focus 100% on how happy he is and the joy he’s feeling and ugh

- i loved that it didnt make one lifestyle look better than the other 

- THAT SCENE WHEN THEY WERE FIXING THE CAR

- i am a huge fan of amr salama’s work and this film’s success is making me so happy

- i LOVED the…

Voor een westerse kijker voelen de films van regisseur Amr Salama misschien eerder belerend en prekerig dan werkelijk schokkend. Of het zijn debuutfilm 'Asma'a' (2011) is waarin een huisvrouw strijdt tegen de discriminatie en de vooroordelen die een HIV-besmetting afroept over haar gezinsleven. Of deze 'Sheikh Jackson' (2017) waarin een man zichzelf zoekt tussen de wulpse heupbewegingen en androgyne kledingstijl van Michael Jackson en de rechtlijnigheid van Egyptische mannelijkheidsnormen. Khaled Hani mag dan opgegroeid zijn in die jaren negentig waarin genderverhoudingen ook in Egypte veranderden, maar zijn alleenstaande vader (vroegere legerkapitein, nu weduwnaar) ramde het idee erin dat 'een mannelijke man' een goede baan en een afgetraind mannenlichaam heeft. Wat voor Khaled een eerste onschuldige kus had moeten worden met…

Amr Salama's film (the official Egyptian entry for the Foreign Film Oscar) provides a new twist on the well worn father/son conflict and coming of age themes.

Devout imam, Sheikh Khaled Hani (Ahmad Alfishawy) is revered at his local mosque for having turned to his faith after a mis-spent youth (by Egyptian, not Western standards). However, the death of Michael Jackson, who he idolised and emulated throughout his teens, to the great dismay/disgust of his father (Maged El Kedwany), throws him back to his teenage years and precipitates a crisis of faith.

His confusion plays out as a very well done dream sequence which reveals a character very different from the screwed-down-tight persona he displays to the world.

Hani comes…