Inspired by the masterpiece of the same name by the writer Albert Cossery, Golo whisks us off to contemporary Egypt with the lightest touch and a profound humanity. “Les Couleurs de l’Infamie” could be labelled a mystery story, but it is, above all, a magnificent declaration of love for a certain city: Cairo.

A thief — skilled, intelligent, elegant and ironic — opens the wallet of an unpleasant professional advertiser, only to find a letter declaring his responsibility for the collapse of a building which caused the deaths of dozens of innocent victims. Quickly, a group of similarly philosophical thieves formulates a strategy to remind greedy officials why it’s unwise to abuse their power. All of Cossery’s favorite themes are here in abundance: hatred of the rich, the ironic nature of power, and a desire to see the triumph of the only worthwhile people in this world: those who have understood that life lies outside of material possessions.