Kaveh Tehrani's coming-of-age film is an adaptation of Gulraiz Sharif's 2020 novel, depicting the increasingly complex summer vacation of 15-year-old Mahmoud. Not only does a sociable uncle from Pakistan visit, but Mahmoud must also navigate the family crisis that unfolds when his little brother Ali has a secret that turns their whole world upside down. It doesn't take long for the film to set the tone: The protagonist, Mahmoud, almost immediately breaks the fourth wall, seamlessly taking on the role of the narrator. The film doesn't look back: it brims with techniques and devices that inject energy into the narrative and provide a framework for the themes, taking us under the skin of what turns out to be a poignant, thought-provoking family drama – all wrapped in the attractive guise of comedy. Questions about identity and belonging in Norwegian society (for both young and older characters) within a multicultural family from Oslo become the central driving force. The adaptation of Gu ...