Khaled Diab’s Bershama is a masterclass in comedy

🎥 As the Ramadan drama season drew to a close, the craving for the big screen — and the smell of movie theater popcorn — returned. Among the Eid releases, Bershama immediately stood out. It wasn’t just the star-studded comedic cast that drew us in, but the creative powerhouse behind the camera that made it a must-watch, despite the unpredictable weather.

The plot: Written by Khaled Diab, Sherine Diab, and Ahmed El Zoghbi and directed by Khaled Diab, the film takes us to a rural village. The setting is a homeschooling Arabic language exam for the General Secondary Certificate. The classroom is a melting pot of diverse social backgrounds and ages, all gathered for one goal: to pass. However, tragedy strikes early when the proctor, Mr. Saad (Kamal Abu Raya), suffers a fatal outburst and collapses.

Amidst the ensuing chaos, the majority of the students strike a desperate agreement: they will cheat their way through the exam before reporting the death to the authorities. What follows is two hours of high-stakes hilarity featuring quite the diverse cast of characters, including the religiously devout Abdel Hamid (Hesham Maged), belly dancer Faten (Reham Abdel Ghafour), grandmother Inaam (Arafa Abdel Rasoul), inmate Haggag (Hatem Salah), the gullible Halila (Mostafa Gharib), and the troubled Zainab (Faten Said).

Bershama hit a home run, and performances were stellar across the board. The standout surprise was Arafa Abdel Rasoul, whose comedic timing stole the show and earned the loudest laughs in the theater. Hesham Maged continues to prove his knack for choosing refreshing roles, and his chemistry with Mostafa Gharib — reminiscent of their success in the series Ashghal Shaqqa — is a highlight. All in all, Diab delivered a comedic tour de force. By placing these characters in an ethical and social dilemma, he holds up a mirror to the contradictions of modern society.

WHERE TO WATCH- Bershama is screening at Vox Cinemas in City Center Almaza, Mall of Egypt, and Mall of Alexandria. You can also catch the film at City Stars Cinema, D5 and CFCM’s Scene Cinema, Cima Arkan, and P90 Cinema. Watch the trailer on YouTube (watch, runtime: 1:33).