On screen
Shaft
John Singleton's revival of the 1971 blaxploitation film, based
on a novel by Ernest Tidyman, also features Isaac Hayes's Oscar-nominated
theme music as well as the original Shaft (Richard Roundtree). This time Samuel
L Jackson plays the much less misogynist title role, nephew of Roundtree's
Shaft. Walter Wade (Christian Bale), on the loose after serving only two years
in prison for murdering a black student, is Shaft's target criminal, while
drug kingpin Peoples Hernandez (Jeffrey Wright) has a personal vendetta against
the black detective. Vanessa Williams plays Shaft's ex-partner while Busta
Rhymes plays his man on the street. .
Abbas Hassan Bakr |
On show
The Annual Salon of Small Art Work is on again at the Centre of Arts' Akhenaton
Halls in Zamalek. With a total of 960 pieces by 443 artists -- mostly under 35
years of age -- the exhibition undoubtedly gathers the largest collection of
Egypt's up-and-coming talents. The main salon is devoted to guest of honour
Chafik Charobim (1894-1975), while portraits, paintings, prints, computer art
and designs, drawings, modern sculptures and ceramics occupy the remaining space.
Headed by Ahmed Fouad Selim, the jury has already bestowed 12 LE5000 awards
on the winning artists, whose works will be on display until Sun 24.
On stage
Fans of Sudanese singer, actress, and renowned henna artist Sattouna should
head for the Ramadan tent set up by the French Cultural Centre in Mounira
on 18 December, where she will sing African folkloric songs accompanied by
nine other musicians. She has previously collaborated with Nubian singer Ali
Hassan Cuban, and together they achieved great acclaim at international music
festivals in Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland and Austria. A
veteran performer with 20 years of experience, Sattouna has acted on both
stage and screen, not only in Egypt and Sudan, but also in Kuwait. She has
toured the Gulf where she gave concerts and recorded two albums. Last fall
she acted in three plays performed for Egypt's Experimental Theatre Festival.
Omar El-Nagdi |
Around the galleries
On display at the Egyptian Centre for International Cultural Cooperation are the
latest paintings of artist Atia Hussein. Perhaps inspired by the celebratory
spirit of the Holy Month, Hussein takes her characteristically Islamic style
a step or two further, mixing the modern figurative school of painting with
the Islamic tradition of non-figurative design in the framework of the cityscape.
And her predominently subdued colour schemes manage to evoke the spirit of the
city.
Reviewed by Nagwa El-Ashri
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