CAIRO: Perhaps in response to recent Muslim Brotherhood success in the parliamentary elections, several writers and production companies are competing to produce the first movie about Hassan Al Banna, who founded the Muslim Brotherhood in 1928 and was assassinated in 1949.
In much the same way that Al Banna was controversial in his life and after his death, the prospect of the first movie about him has triggered conflict between his family and the scenarists who have decided to write about him.
The family has threatened to sue anyone who either writes about Al Banna without consulting them or who misrepresents Al Banna’s life.
The writers who have announced their intentions to write about Al Banna include: journalist Mohammad Al Baz who has completed writing his story; scenarist Wahid Hamed, businessmen affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Banna’s son Ahmad Sief Al-Islam, in cooperation with a Kuwaiti company.
While Hamed is still studying the historical aspects of Al Banna in preparation for writing the scenario, Al Baz has declared that he has finished the actual writing of his version of Al Banna s life story. He refuses to announce the production company that will produce the movie until he receives the approval of the council of the censorship on artistic works.
Al-Islam, Al Banna s son, said that he has also been considering producing a movie or a TV serial on his father’s life. He indicated that he has received many proposals from Brotherhood-affiliated businessmen from a Kuwaiti company that is ready to produce a high budget movie that meets international standards.
Essam Al Erian of the Muslim Brotherhood has also said that there are some businessmen from the Brotherhood that have thought about producing a movie as a personal initiative, independently of the group.
Ali Abd Al Fatah, a member of the Brotherhood, said that they have tentatively chosen Nour Al Sharif to play the role of Al Banna, adding that they might shoot the movie in Syria, if the Egyptian government prevented filming or erected obstacles to it.
Al Erian expressed his lack of confidence in such movies, especially considering the negative light in which previous movies have shown the Brotherhood.
The prospective production of the movie has sparked a conflict in the media between Al Banna s family on one side, and Al Baz and Hamed on the other.
Al Baz has published sections from his scenario that have contributed to the polemic; the sections in question involved controversial matters that his family considers offense to Al Banna. They object to references to Al Banna s acceptance of a donation from the British to build a mosque and also to his relationship with some ruling figures before the revolution, which has raised question marks.
Al-Islam said, “We do not object to any person who writes about Al Banna, but what we request is to read the script before making the movie to assure that there isn’t anything that affects my rights and my father’s rights and to correct the events mentioned in the story. This is a matter that the law arranges.
“It’s better that we read the script before producing the movie, because in case the story includes any [non-truths] then I will sue the film writer. I will request from the court to stop the film s screening until a court issues a ruling. Also, we want to approve of the actor who will perform Al Banna s character, because his background may affect the image of Al Banna, he added.
Al Baz refused to provide Al Banna’s family with the script, saying If Al Banna s family want to look into the script only for telling me their opinion, and I have the right to accept or not, then I have no problem to present my script to them, but I know that they want to interfere in the details, and finally the story would express their view, not mine.
According to Al Baz, his film does not detail the personal life of Al Banna; consequently he doesn’t feel he needs to consult the family. Instead, the movie addresses him as a political figure.
Al Baz clarified that he depended on many sources in writing the scenario, such as Al Banna s memoirs and the group’s histories, in addition to historians from outside the group.
Hamed confirms that Al Banna has become a historical figure and is not anyone’s property. “The author s rights law says that if 50 years has passed since the death of the personality, he becomes the property of society and nobody has the right to intervene. The one who objects has the right to express his opinion, or resort to justice, he said.
Al-Islam, however, objects. Al Banna actually is a historical figure, but it isn’t right for anyone to fabricate events in order to destroy his image. He says that the law covers the handling of public figures, allowing it if it meets three regulations: that the handling be well-meaning, that the work addresses the personality in his function as a public figure and that the writer can prove what he says.
Al Erian commented that Al Banna cannot be considered a historic figure because his works still exist. He noted that the Brotherhood would not intervene in the legal matter of suing for injury, and would leave it to Al Banna’s family, since they would be the victims of any direct damage.
