A feature-length documentary film following one man’s search for random Americans concerned about an Islamic threat and offering them a free trip to Egypt.
Tarek Mounib offers a group of strangers a paid trip to Egypt in an attempt to expose them to an authentic Middle Eastern experience versus how they are portrayed in the media. He begins at the perfect place where tons of fearful, conservative and racist individuals gather to protest eliminating other ethnic groups to make America great again: a Trump rally. At the rally, Tarek speaks to random people about what they thought of the Middle East and if they would be open to visiting Egypt. Not to his surprise, many respond with hate rhetoric and not one accepted his offer to visit.
After several failed attempts, he creates a video explaining his project and invites people to come to Egypt to learn about the culture. He ultimately recruits a small group of people that are religious and have their own views about Muslims but are open to the experience because they want to change in some way. Among them is a retired teacher, a police officer, a Christian missionary and an ex-Marine, all having their own strong religious beliefs and have been taught to fear Muslims through the media. Tarek pairs each of them with an Egyptian host who opens their home and shows them the many beautiful sights and Muslim culture throughout Egypt. By the end of their stay, all of their lives are deeply affected and they no longer harbor bitterness or resentment toward the religion.
I thought this was a great idea but the outcome is very predictable and seemed unlikely. I thought about this documentary days after I saw it because I can’t conceive of the idea that a trip to Egypt would completely change the hearts of hardcore Christians or someone that was deeply racist like one of the women in the group. She claimed that after 9/11 she built a strong racist hatred for Middle Easterners, but at the end of the film she was totally renewed. I would love to have seen more honest conflict between the Americans and Egyptian hosts. There was a scene before dinner where the Christians gathered everyone’s hands to say a prayer and I found that inconceivable, even as an Atheist, that the Muslims agreed with pleasure, as I would not have. Good documentary but way too safe for me.
Now playing in select theaters