Author and art critic Dessouki Said has been working hard, my dears, to establish a new cultural organisation dedicated to holding workshops and organising film festivals across the country. Said has found support for the initiative from Canadian Ambassador Michel de Salaberry, Austrian Ambassador Ferdinand Trauttmansdorff, and Belgium Ambassador Guy Troutveroy, all of whom agreed to be members of the board of trustees. The board also includes luminaries such as El-Sayed Yassin of Al-Ahram's Political and Strategic Studies Centre, actress Laila Elwi, actor Mahmoud Qabil and Al- Hanager Theatre director Hoda Wasfi. The organisation will be holding an international festival in Al-Fayoum next March, and special weeks celebrating Canadian and Bavarian films in April and May.
Congratulations are in order for prominent Lebanese media figure George Qordahi, who was recently chosen by the United Nations to be a Goodwill Ambassador for Environmental Affairs. Lebanese President Emile Lahoud has also recently bestowed Qordahi with one of his nation's most prestigious awards. Qordahi is most famous for being the host of the Arabic version of the world famous quiz show, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire".
I am certain, my sweets, that you are well aware of the fantastic events that are part of the Egypt-Italy Cultural Year that has been in progress for the past few months, celebrating the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and 1000 years of their common history.
One such event, which I recently attended with my colleague Reham El-Adawi, was a theatrical performance entitled Arlecchino Servitore di due Padroni (Arlecchino, Servant of Two Masters). Penned by veteran Italian author Carlo Goldoni, directed by Giorgio Strehler and starring Ferruccio Soleri, the performance was put on by the Small Theatre of Milan and the Theatre of Europe for three days at Al-Gumhouriya Theatre, and accompanied by an Arabic translation. Italian Ambassador in Egypt Antonio Badini, who was in attendance, spoke of some of the other events that have been part of this year-long exchange -- Italy's Kataklo dance theatre company's performance in Egypt, a concert titled "Cairo-Napoli" featuring singer Consiglia Licciardi and the Masria band led by Mohamed Azab, and a spectacular sculpture and fashion exhibition by Roberto Capucci at the Cairo Opera House.
This month, the events continue with one of Sicily's most prominent traditional marionette theatre troupes performing at the Gumhouriya Theatre, an exhibition titled "100 Suns" that opens today at Al-Hanager Arts Centre, as well as a fashion show by designer Raffaella Curiel taking place at the Ramses Hilton Hotel on 24-25 January.
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