Best productions of recent years, but can they compete internationally?
CAIRO: When an announcement was made in October that three Egyptian films would be screened in the main international competition of the Cairo International Film Festival, the entertainment industry was abuzz with questions about their ability to compete with world cinema.
According to sources associated with the organizing committee of this year’s festival, these films constitute some of the best Egyptian productions in recent years. However, the films might fail to compete on par with their international counterparts.
The strongest Egyptian contribution is Hala Khalil s sophomore effort Cut and Paste about a couple attempting to immigrate to New Zealand. The film stars Hanan Turk, Sherid Mounir and Fathi Abdel Wahab. Renowned critic Khayreya El-Bishlawi told The Daily Star Egypt that the film is subtle, sensitive with an important, non-preachy social message and a very smart, appealing dialogue.
Hide and Seek, the first full-length feature film from young filmmaker Emad El-Bahat is a drastic departure from the stifling conventions that rule Egyptian cinema. The film, starring a group of first time actors, unfolds in one night and revolves around a group of friends impersonating each other to gradually reveal how they truly perceive one another.
Khaled El-Hagar s None But That! though is widely believed to have no real shot at winning any awards this year.
The film is musical social comedy fare starring Khaled Abol Naga and Nabila Ebeid about a family trying to lift itself up the social ladder by turning their youngest, pretty member into a music video singer.
The presence of Egyptian films in competition has always stirred a little bit of controversy with some critics in previous years claiming the films did not warrant the attention or awards they received.
Numerous Egyptian films in the past have undeservedly won awards given by juries who often did so as a nice gesture or as a thankful compliment to the hosting nation.
Awards are never considered be the real yardstick upon which the quality of the films are measured, El-Bishlawy said. The basic notion of awarding a film is directly proportional to the tastes of the jury members, their culture backgrounds and their political and social ideologies, she added.
As for the rest of the competing films, the initial critical reaction points toward the Latin American films as the front-runners for the Golden Pyramid. Almost all critics singled out the Brazilian film Zuzu Angel, as a favorite to win the coveted prize. The film chronicles the political turmoil of a 70s Brazil from the point of view of a fashion designer.
The festival’s opening ceremony is on Tuesday.
