La Vallée du Sel

When a young filmmaker returns to Cairo for the first time since the Egyptian Revolution, he encounters a society transformed by political and religious grievances. Christophe Saber's camera records a family holiday unlike any other, in which the familiar rituals of eating and socializing are interrupted by ominous calls from local blackmailers who threaten his Christian parents because of their work with religious minorities. As the suspense mounts and Saber's parents begin to question their place in an increasingly intolerant society, The Valley of Salt offers a riveting first-person account of the life-or-death challenges that face the Egyptian people in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. Saber's beautifully crafted family portrait becomes an increasingly moving study of religious faith, with an intimacy and candour that are the mark of a major new cinematic talent. (Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival)