CAIRO — "Yomeddine" (“Judgment Day”), an Egyptian tragicomedy about discrimination and friendship, left the 71st Cannes International Festival with the Francois Chalais Prize May 18, marking an unexpected success for a debut film with a small budget and no stars. The award is the first for an Egyptian film in the international festival in nearly two decades.

"Yomeddine," by young director AB Shawky, was also nominated for a Palme d’Or award, but lost to “Shoplifters” by Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda.

Many Egyptian films have been nominated for the Palme d’Or, including 2012's “After the Battle,” a drama on the Arab Spring by director Yousry Nasrallah. It lost to “Amour,” Michael Haneke’s moving story of love and death. In 2016, Mohamed Diab's thriller “Clash” was the only Egyptian film to be screened as part of the “Un Certain Regard” division. No Egyptian films were featured in Cannes in 2017.

“Yomeddine,” a compelling tale of cruelty and kindness, tells the story of Bashay, who grew up in a leper colony. Though he has recovered, he has major scars on his face, hands and feet. After the death of his wife, who suffered from leprosy as well, Bashay decides to set on a journey across Egypt with his Nubian friend Obama. His aim is to unite with his family in the Qena governorate who had abandoned him because of his illness.