Ancient friends

THE CHINESE Cultural Centre commenced its activities last Thursday. Inaugurated at the end of October, 2002, the Centre invited the Hebei Folk Troupe to mark the official launch of its programme which will include seminars, exhibitions, screenings and Chinese language courses as well as performances. In addition to performance and exhibition spaces, the Centre will provide a library. Targeting Egyptians, particularly the young, the Centre is intended to develop connections with Chinese culture and thought.

Presiding over the event were the Chinese cultural attaché, known to Egyptians simply as Mr Salem, and Cherif El- Shoubashi, undersecretary for foreign cultural relations. A brief press conference was held prior to the 45-minute performance and informal reception afterwards.

Questions ranged from the horizons of cultural exchange between the two countries -- there is as yet no Egyptian cultural centre in China -- to the efforts being undertaken to preserve cultural heritage, from ways in which the proposed partnership can extend beyond the official level, engaging the young, for example, to ways in which the two cultures are thought to be relevant to the rest of the contemporary world.

In his speech El-Shoubashi expressed joy in being present at the opening of the Centre's activities, noting that he was equally pleased to attend the opening of the Centre in October. There are those countries, he explained, that people dream of visiting. Mentioning France and Egypt as widely divergent examples, he emphatically pointed to China. Culturally, he said, China is one of the world's greatest civilisations.

El-Shoubashi himself was one of the millions of people who dream of going to China. The dream finally came true, he explained, three or four months before. And unlike other long-awaited ventures into the unknown, there was nothing anticlimatic about his experience; in fact "reality rather surpassed the imagination". The principal connection between China and Egypt, El-Shoubashi insisted, is that each sustained a distinct civilisation for thousands of years, spreading its influence in the neighbouring region. "This," he intoned, "is the greatness of China, and that of Egypt."

Speaking in crisp, tentative Arabic, Salem seconded El-Shoubashi's statements. "China," he said, "is only 5,000 years old; Egypt's 7,000 years of civilisation make it even older." He pointed out that Egypt was the first country the Chinese cultural authorities thought of when they decided to establish cultural centres in the world, due to its strategic location and political role; Egypt was the first African and Arab country to recognise China, moreover, instigating diplomatic relations with it.

Cultural exchange had already been undertaken prior to the opening of the Centre, with over 120 Chinese artists having performed in Egypt, Salem announced, and the Centre's activities will gradually expand the scope of the exchange. In this context El-Shoubashi announced that a rich and varied week of Egyptian culture -- now in the process of being conceptualised -- will take place in China during the second half of 2003.

Far from the "total vision of human existence" that ancient civilisations like China and Egypt supported, the Hebei Troupe's five solo pieces -- folk dance, magic, sword dance, acrobatics and singing -- testified more to preplanning and painstakingly acquired skill than to an interest in the sublime. Of the Hebei Troupe's 300 members only six had been brought to Cairo; and while representing the range of the full troupe's work, they pointed up the entertainment-focused practices of contemporary Chinese performance rather than reflecting the power of cultural traditions.

Divinity in Beirut...

DIVINE Intervention, Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman's award winning movie, was commercially released in Beirut last week. Surprisingly, the film despite its artistic form and controversial content, has attracted a large number of viewers. It has not yet been announced which other Arab cities will enjoy commercial releases of the film.

...and bullets in Amman

THE TENTH Amman Theatre Days will be launched on 17 March, International Theatre Day, and will run till 7 April. The festival is organised by the Jordanian Al-Fawanis group and the Egyptian Al-Warsha. Besides theatre productions the festival will include dance and music shows as well as specialised workshops with international participants. Among the plays expected to make news are the Tunisian Fadel El- Ga'aybi's Familia and Al-Warsha's Rusasa Fil-Qalb (A Bullet in the Heart) directed by Hassan El-Geretli. A special section of the festival will be devoted to Iraqi theatre and film productions.

Women in Vienna

THE VIENNA Philharmonic Orchestra has appointed its first female musician. Ursula Plaichinger, the viola player, is the first woman to join the ranks of this traditionally all-male orchestra. The decision comes five years after the Austrian government forced the orchestra to drop its men-only rule. So far Plaichinger has been forbidden from giving press interviews.

Egyptians in Milan

THREE Egyptian feature films will participate in the official competition of the upcoming round of Milan's 13th festival of African Cinema from 24 to 30 March. These are Al-Sahir (The Magician), Kharif Adam (Adam's Autumn), and Ma'ali Al-Wazir (His Excellency the Minister). Two short films will also take part; Gasem Yaccoub's Ihtidar (In the throes of death) and Nadine Khan's Ru'ya (Vision).

By Youssef Rakha