Hassan and Marcus

Ramy Imam's 2008 Egyptian film brings Adel Emam and Omar Sharif together in a long-awaited pairing. When the Muslim sheikh Mahmoud, played by Omar Sharif, and the Christian priest Boulos, played by Adel Emam, are threatened with death by extremists within their own communities, the state places them in a witness protection programme and gives each the identity of the other religion. The sheikh begins living as a Christian named Marcus, the priest as a Muslim named Hassan, and without knowing it they move into the same building. The subject is sectarian violence and prejudice, and the comic template is the way to say something difficult to state directly in Egypt. The film drew argument on release; after Adel Emam appeared in Coptic dress, calls circulated on social media to boycott his films. The story sometimes delivers its message too plainly and the last section slides into melodrama. Who it's for: viewers interested in mainstream Egyptian cinema and stories about tension between religious communities. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a deeper treatment of the subject, or who will find the switches between comedy and violence uneven.