24 - 30 May 2001
Issue No.535
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 24 - 30 May 2001 Issue No.535 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Cinema in the balance
The hubbub surrounding this year's Cannes Film Festival has reminded me of my days at the Cinema Support Organisation in the 1950s. That was in the time of Fathi Radwan, the first Egyptian Minister of Culture.
The ministry had a budget for festivals: Egyptian films were to be selected each year for participation in three festivals worldwide. But Hussein Fawzi -- a deputy of the ministry -- had little faith in Egyptian cinema. He believed that its quality was too poor for it to participate in international festivals, and was therefore forever trying to transfer this budget to some other cause. I was among those who supported the national film industry, though, and I went to Fawzi's office, along with the famous writer Yehia Haqqi, to persuade him that it was important for Egyptian films to participate in international festivals.
The first question he asked was: "Do you really think there are Egyptian films good enough to win a prize at an international festival?" To which I replied that winning a prize is not the only reason to participate in festivals: there are other benefits too, the benefits of exposure and mingling. Fawzi eventually agreed and Egypt went to Cannes with Salah Abu Seif's Shabab Imra'a (A Woman's Youth), which was exceptionally well received. Filmmakers who may have been more sophisticated took an active interest in this excellent offering from Egypt. In fact, Tahiya Carioca, the delectable star of the film, made an exceptional, unprecedented impression.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
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