Al-Ahram Weekly | Culture

		Al-Ahram Weekly Online 14 - 20 March 2002 Issue No.577
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Current issue \| Previous issue \| Site map

Intellectuals for Intifada
A GROUP of 100 Egyptian intellectuals, writers, artists, politicians and businessmen has issued an open letter to President Yasser Arafat in support of the Palestinian people. "We support you as a leader and president of the Palestinian people despite the wishes of the occupying state, and we trust that the Intifada of independence will ultimately reach its goals, in spite of the brutality and destruction sustained with the support of the American administration," the statement read.
Among the signatories are Osama Anwar Okasha, Ismail Sabri Abdallah, Amin Howeidy, Amina Shafiq, Anouar Abdel-Malik, Gaber Asfour, Gamal El-Ghitani, Husam Badrawi, Khaled Moheiddin, Ragaa El-Naqqash, Raouf Abbas, Sameh Ashour, Samiha Ayoub, Soheir El-Morshedi, Fathiya El-Assal, Farida El-Naqqash, Mohamed Farag Amer, Mohamed Farid Khamis, Mahmoud Amin El-Alem, Mourad Ghaleb, Mustafa El-Feki, Naguib Sawiris, Noaman Gomaa, Nur El-Sherief, Youssra and Yunan Labib Rizk.

Festive films
THE FILM Association's Festival began its 28th round on Sunday. Six films are in competition: Ayam El-Sadat, Ula Thanawi, Al- Abwab Al-Mughlaqa, Gawaz Biqarar Gumhuri, Muwatin wa Mukhbir wa Harami, and Asrar Al-Banat.
Surprisingly, director Youssef Chahine has withdrawn from the festival, much to the disappointment of the jurists and organising committee. Chahine explained to reporters that since 1997 he had decided not to enter any competitions, and that his withdrawal was not intended as a snub.

...and more
THE EIGHTH National Film Festival begins on 9 April. The opening ceremony will be held at the Cairo Opera House, announced Ali Abu Shadi, the festival's director.
This round will honour directors Kamal El- Sheikh and Samir Ouf, actress Nadia Lutfi, director of photography Ramsis Marzouk, and film historian Mohamed Mounir Ibrahim.

Barakat honour
THE FRENCH government has made Lebanese novelist Hoda Barakat a chevalier. It is a significant honour, given the fact that Barakat writes in Arabic. Three of her novels: Ahl Al- Hawa, Hagar Al-Dahk and Harith Al-Miyah, have been translated into French.

Photographing Islam
THE LEBANESE-based Libyan filmmaker Mohamed Makhlouf is putting the finishing touches to his latest work, a documentary entitled In the Shadow of the Tree. Subtitled A Photographer's Journey to Islam, the film retells the story of British photographer Peter Sandras. It follows the photographer's spiritual and geographical journeys through the Far East, the Arab world and Europe and captures his relationship with Islam and with photography.

Festival in Doha
THE DOHA Cultural Festival, organised by the Qatari National Council for Culture and Arts, is due to begin on the 21st. The events include several musical concerts, poetry readings and art exhibitions.
A special exhibition of Islamic historical artefacts -- metalwork from the Islamic Courts, and jewelled items from the Moghul Courts -- is included as are a whole range of events grouped under The Iraqi Cultural Week.
Egyptians are represented through an exhibition of paintings by Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni and Mohamed Sobhi's theatrical hit Mama Amerika.
Among the poets participating with readings are Qassem Haddad, Fadel Al-Azawi, Ali Mirza, Abdel-Moneim Ramadan, Mohamed Ali Shamseddin and Mamdouh Odwan.
The highlight of the festival is expected to be a concert held by Lebanese diva Fairouz, scheduled on the eighth day of the festival.

Books in Beirut
THE LEBANESE Book Festival continues in Beirut until the 17th. Unlike the annual book fair sponsored by the Arab Cultural Club, this festival remains a local event with only 30 publishing houses participating, and many of the most prestigious Lebanese publishers staying away.
Fringe events include honouring a number of Lebanese cultural figures as well as a number of cultural symposia -- four this year: one centred around the work of Lebanese intellectual Amin Youssef Al-Hagg, another on Amin Al- Rihani on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of his birth; a third on the prospects for peace in the Middle East, and finally a sumposium discussing Nicola Nassif's book on Raymond Eddé.

Roy jailed and released
INDIAN novelist Arhundhati Roy served a symbolic one-day prison term and paid a fine of 2,000 rupees ($42) after being found guilty of contempt of court. She was released from jail last Thursday.
Roy took part in a demonstration in December in opposition to India's Supreme Court's decision to allow the resumption of work at the controversial Narmada Dam project. She also criticised the Supreme Court's judgment and accused it of trying to silence dissent and harassment.
The Narmada dam project has attracted a great deal of controversy in India with many questioning its benefits and the cost of large- scale human displacement.
Arundhati Roy won the 1998 Booker Prize for her novel The God of Small Things.

Women in Alexandria
THE LIBRARY of Alexandria celebrated International Women's Day by honouring Egyptian women film pioneers. The celebration honoured Aziza Amir, who made 25 films for the Egyptian screen including Layl in 1927; Bahiga Hafez who starred in the classic adaptation of Mohamed Hussein Heikal's novel Zaynab in addition to production and directing several films; and Asia, who starred in 15 movies and is best known as a producer, making 33 films. Also honoured were Fatma Roushdi, who played leading roles in some 100 plays and 16 films and Marie Queeny, the Lebanese- Egyptian actress-producer who made 26 films in Egypt, starring in nine.

Yasin and Bahiya?
NAGUIB Sorour's masterpiece Yasin and Bahiya is to be produced at Al-Hanager, directed by Syrian Rola Fattal. The production will star Muhsina Tewfik, Nourhan, Sayed El-Roumi and Ahmed Ezzeddin.
Compiled by Amina Elbendary

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