Bahr al Nojoum

A young man lives in a coastal tourist city, where he helps his father manage the family business, which is suffering from financial hardship. He is thinking of getting out of it by working to revive his town, which has long been associated with music and singing. He agrees with his sister and grandfather to revive a festival that his grandfather and friend held in the town twenty years ago. He begins his journey by agreeing with leading singers to participate in the festival, which begins as a dream and turns into a dazzling reality.

Directed by Ahmed Mahdi, Bahr al Nojoum leans on a strong ensemble — Karim Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, Mohammed Al-Kilani, Brigitte Yaghi — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2008.