Behind the scenes
Many readers were just as offended as we were here at Al-Ahram Weekly by
the nasty way much of the entertainment press covered silver screen legend
Faten Hamama's return to the small screen in Wagh Al-Qamar (Face of the Moon).
We were surprised, however, to find that some readers thought the Weekly gave
too much prominence to negative critiques of the show and Hamama's performance,
some of which were mentioned in Tarek Atia's "Everyone's a Critic", printed
in this space last week. A close look at the comments should make clear that
Atia was equally dismayed by the coverage, saying that "Hamama herself shines
in her role as the iron lady with the frayed nerves, constantly being put
in tough situations and surviving." With nearly half a century's worth of
screen triumphs behind her, she will certainly do the same in real life as
well. . .
On stage
Acclaimed Egyptian-Armenian oud player George Kazazian will play his unique
brand of East-West fusion at Beit Al-Harrawi on 22 December. A popular musician
in Egypt and throughout the Arab world, Kazazian has also performed in Europe
and released five CDs, all of which were phenomenally popular. Kazazian has
lent his unique compositions to films directed by Ali Badrakhan and Mohamed
Khan. He participated in this year's Arab Music Festival, where he prepared
a special repertoire which harmoniously reflected each of his musical backgrounds
and influences -- Armenian, Egyptian, Spanish and Indian.
Small screen
Bakkar is a cartoon for children based on the adventures of a young Nubian
boy. The boy's best friends are his cousin 'Hammam' and a small goat named
'Rashida'. Last year the animated programme took place in Pharaonic temples
and the mud huts of Bakkar's village in Upper Egypt. This year the characters
travel to Lower Egypt through several cities in the Delta, along the way dealing
with complex issues and confronting challenges which they are brave enough
to overcome. In one episode they get lost in the desert and encounter one
of Egypt's most serious problems -- land mines. Bakkar's bravery and intelligence
encourage young children to be assertive and courageous in their actions and
decision-making. The 15-minute cartoon, directed by Mona Abul-Nasr and written
by Amr Samir Ali, airs daily on Channel 1 at 5.15pm..
Around the galleries
In the Ratib Seddiq Gallery at the Cairo Atelier, veteran Alexandrine painter
Samir El-Messieri exhibits a retrospective "selection of oil paintings" alongside
one new painting. The painter depicts cityscapes, notably of Fatimid Cairo,
betraying a predilection for simplicity, verve and sensitivity to colours.
El-Messieri is reminiscent of the most widely celebrated of modern Alexandria's
painters, Seif Wanli, his mentor.
Reviewed by Nagwa El-Ashri
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