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Al-Ahram Weekly 2 - 8 March 2000 Issue No. 471 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 2 - 8 March 2000 Issue No. 471
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Interview Features Focus Heritage Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters No local hero
By Khairiya El-Bishlawi
The film festivals on which we in Egypt delight in spending so much effort and money are so often more concerned with image than with any genuine cultural value. Nowhere was this more manifestly true than at the 10th Cairo International Film Festival for Children, which ended last Tuesday.
Although this was the 10th such event, Egypt was still unable to produce a single home-grown feature to open the festival; every time, the curtain-raiser has been American. Is it any wonder then, if our children spend their formative years looking up to foreign models, despite all the money lavished on their entertainment and education?
Of course, we do produce animated serials, such as those featuring the characters Bakkar created by Mona Abul-Nasr, herself a permanent member of the festival jury, as well as animated shorts such as those of Zeinab Zamzam. Yet this is a relatively limited field of endeavour, and one whose impact, particularly in comparison with the impact of imported children's films, remains deplorably slight.
It comes as no surprise then that none of the Egyptians who were honoured at this year's festival have anything to do with children's cinema. Those who were honoured included composer Ammar El-Sheri'i, journalist Ne'am El-Baz, and the late director Mohamed Hassib, whose total relevant oeuvre comprises only a few animation shorts not exceeding a total of several minutes, and not all of which are specifically intended for children. Meanwhile, the famous actor Abdel-Moneim Madbouli may make children laugh through the language of adults, but his particular brand of comedy is not exactly pedagogic. One also wonders what Salah Zaki's exact role in the field of children's entertainment is. Or was he honoured simply because he is a well-respected media personality who died a tragic death shortly before the festival commenced?
Indeed, we are compelled to conclude that the festival failed to identify a single prominent personality whose contribution to children's cinema was worthy to be honoured.
More than a hundred films were screened, and thanks to the persistence of Soheir Abdel-Qader, the programme included valuable films from China and Iran, though sadly they were shown without subtitles. The children who had flocked there from schools and homes were thus unable to understand what they saw -- a problem that could have easily been solved had a little more attention been paid to translation.
Among the films that would have benefitted from such attention was Ibn Mariam (Mariam's son), which was part of the official competition. This beautiful Iranian film deals with religious tolerance through the relationship that develops between a boy named Abdel-Rahman and the only Christian priest left in his village. The film was also shown under the auspices of the festival in the village of Al-Kosheh, recently the scene of sectarian violence.
The American film Stuart Little mixes animation and live action in its tale of a mouse adopted by an all-American family, to live alongside their only son and their cat. Although undeniably engaging, its depiction of family and social values nonetheless remained resolutely alien to the Egyptian context.
The festival also included a series of recent, yet previously-released Disney productions, courtesy of the Renaissance film company: Hercules, Tarzan, Flubber, 101 Dalmatians, A Bug's Life and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Though it was interesting to see them all together at the same time and place, this could have been accomplished without a festival. As a result, all they served to demonstrate was the astonishing ongoing dominance of the American cinema.
There were also many films from European countries. Poland sent several, the most important of which was Tiny, which deals with a day in the life of an alcoholic's son. Other participating countries included Sweden, the Netherlands, Mexico, Bulgaria, the UK, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
Television was not entirely absent either. The Egyptian Cinema Panorama included an hour-long TV film, Nassanisso, about a boy who leaves his village for the city where he learns the value of work and the necessity of fighting beggary. The panorama also included a number of short films which were at best average, at worst mediocre.
For the first time, the festival boasted an international jury of children, alongside the main, adult jury. This was also the first time the Egyptian state played an official role, through the mediation of the Cultural Development Fund, which provided both sponsorship and support -- a pleasing initiative. Perhaps now the fund might see its way to producing an Egyptian film for children in time for the next edition, and thus ensure that all the money it spends has at least a minimum of local relevance and cultural impact?
Awards of the 10th Cairo International Film Festival for Children
Cinema productions:-Feature Gold Award: Son on Mariam (Iran)
-Feature Silver Award: The Flying Lift Boy (Netherlands)
-Feature Bronze Award: Withheld
-Short Film Gold Award: Withheld
-Short Film Silver Award: The Migratory Goose (Iran)
-Short Film Bronze Award: Trongela (Egypt)
-Feature Special Jury Award: Albert (Denmark)
-Short Film Special Jury Award: Trongela (Egypt)Television productions:
-Feature Gold Award: Song of a Bird (Indonesia)
-Feature Silver Award: The Fly Soup (Sweden)
-Feature Bronze Award: One is Not Enough (Iran)
-Short Film Gold Award: The Red Pencil (Iran)
-Short Film Silver Award: Akbar's Cheetah (UK)
-Short Film Bronze Award: Oufa and the Rahbaniya (Egypt)
-Feature Special Jury Award: Fly Soup (Sweden)
-Short Film Special Jury Award: On the way home (Mexico)
