The Laughing Woo Woo

Setup in San Francisco, following the 2011 Arab Spring that left Egypt in political unrest. Simsim—a young Egyptian immigrant with a wooingly contagious laugh seeks asylum in the United States. Out of fear of the outcome of the revolution, he escapes to San Francisco leaving behind his aging mother. Like a fish out of water Simsim seeks guidance from his greedy lawyer Dale. At a mature age, Dale never loses touch with his redneck persona and never gives a damn about his clients, but he’s affordable. He tolerates Simsim, because he pays in cash. Simsim believes that his immigration hearing in a week is the only barrier before he eases into a new tranquil and prosperous life. And so he catches a public-transit bus to see Dale for a final prep meeting, but soon he realizes that there’s more in store for him, when he encounters the enigmatic absurdity of this surreal version of the American Dream.