Cairo Conspiracy

2022 2h 6m Swedish 6.9

Drama, Thriller

The Al-Azhar was founded by the Fatimids in 972 AD, to make it the center for Islamic learning. Grand Imam is the highest authority in Sunni Islam. Over the centuries, the rulers of Egypt have tried to control the Al-Azhar, but they have failed each time.Adam (Tawfeek Barhom), the son of a fisherman from a village near El Manzala, accepts an offer to study at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. Adam lives with his father (Samy Soliman) and his 2 younger brothers. Adam's father runs a tight ship and does not tolerate indiscipline at home. Adam's father agrees to sending him to Al-Azhar, calling it God's will.Adam arrives at Al-Azhar and meets his roommate Raed (Ahmed Lassaoui) who shows him around the University. Shortly after his arrival, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar suddenly dies and a power struggle to replace him ensues. The NSA (security service) strives to install Sheikh Beblawi (Jalal Altawil), but he has two competitors: neutral Sheikh Negm (Makram Khoury), who is blind, and a Salafi Sheikh Durani (Ramzi Choukair). NSA is headed by General Al Sakran. Al Sakran believes that the choice of the Grand Imam is a matter of National Security as the Imam is now chosen for life. Beblawi is pliant to the President, who under Egyptian constitution, is also appointed for life.Adam makes friends with Zizu (Mehdi Dehbi), who is an informer for Colonel Ibrahim (Fares Fares) from the NSA. Zizu informs Ibrahim that the Al-Azhar council favors Negm and also says that he has been exposed. Zizu then starts looking at Adam as his replacement and informs Ibrahim about him.Zizu is soon killed (which Adam witnesses), and Ibrahim reaches out to Adam for a meeting outside the University. Ibrahim promises to find out who killed Adam. Adam tries to help solve his murder by working for Ibrahim. Adam calls his village Imam for direction, but his calls were being monitored by Ibrahim. Ibrahim tells Adam that his father has gall stones and would die without surgery. Ibrahim offers surgery, but wants total commitment and loyalty from Adam.Adam infiltrates a group of extremists led by Soliman (Sherwan Haji) (and including Nazim (Mouloud Ayad), Harun (Amr Mosad) and Alasfour (Abduljabbar Alsuhili)) and gathers information about them, but he learns that they had no involvement with the murder. Adam realizes that Soliman and his loyalists are only interested in waging Jihad against the infidels. Soliman himself believes that the NSA killed Zizu as part of a conspiracy to install the regimes puppet as the Grand Imam. Adam gains Soliman's trust by framing Raeed as an informant and exposing him to Soliman. Adam further tells Soliman that he got the Jihad book from his uncle who is a bookseller. But when Soliman insists that he needs to speak to his uncle, Adam calls Ibrahim, who does not understand what the call is about. Once the extremists realize that Adam is a spy, they attempt to kill Adam, but Ibrahim stops them and forces their leader Soliman to quit and leaves his position as Durani's assistant in favor of Adam.Sheikh Negm turns himself in to the NSA and claims that he killed Zizu. The NSA is forced to arrest him despite knowing that he is not guilty. While doing menial tasks for Durani, Adam discovers that he has an illegitimate child. Durani had asked Adam to buy some diapers for his grandchild (the son of his son), but Adam knew that Durani only had daughters and no son. Upon investigation, Ibrahim finds out that Durani kept a young mistress, whom he impregnated, and she bore him a son. Ibrahim asks Adam to expose Durani and he is disqualified. Sheikh Beblawi is elected Grand Imam.Adam finds out that Zizu was Ibrahim's informer and suspects that Ibrahim killed him. Ibrahim submits a report to his superiors that Negm killed Zizu. Ibrahim's superior, Sobhi (Moe Ayoub), orders him to kill Adam, revealing that NSA murdered Zizu too. Ibrahim is shocked and tries to help Adam to escape, but he is captured. Sobhi attempts to pressure Adam into confessing that he murdered Zizu. Sobhi's solution is to kill Negm as well but General Sakran balks at the idea and refuses to be complicit in the murder of one of country's greatest religious leaders. Ibrahim too gets arrested, but he manages to persuade General Sakran (Mohammad Bakri) to arrange a meeting between Adam and Negm: Negm knows about NSA's role in Zizu's murder and plans to reveal it to the media during the trial; Ibrahim thinks that Adam can persuade Negm to reconsider. Adam succeeds and is let go.Adam returns to his home village wearing Al-Azhar's signature turban. He thanks his village Imam but is unable to say what he has learned at the university. In the final scene of the film, he joins his father in the fishing boat.