CAIRO — The film “Boy from Heaven” by Swedish-Egyptian director Tarik Saleh sparked controversy in Egyptian artistic and political circles after it was shown at the 75th Cannes Film Festival.

The film follows the story of young Adam (played by Palestinian actor Tawfeek Barhom), the son of a fisherman, who has been accepted at Cairo's Al-Azhar University, one of the world's top institutions for Sunni Islam scholars. On the first day of classes, the Grand Imam collapses and dies unexpectedly, leaving the university without a leader. Adam soon finds himself embroiled in a powerplay among Egypt's religious and political elite to elect a new imam.

The Cannes Film Festival’s official website said this film is Saleh’s first work to be featured at the renowned festival. The first few excerpts from his new film refer to an exciting story about power struggles in determining who will succeed the Grand Imam, according to the website. 

Saleh directed in 2017 “The Nile Hilton Incident,” whose events are set before the January 25 Revolution. It tackled the corruption of the Egyptian police during the Hosni Mubarak era.