Since the Arabic version of “Perfect Strangers” was released on Netflix platform four days ago, a state of controversy has been raised in Egypt on social media networks.
Many accused the film of “promoting homosexuality” and violating the social values of Arab societies. Some demanded that the film should be removed and filed lawsuits against it.
Head of the Censorship Authority for Artistic Works, Khaled Abdel Jalil, commented that Egypt cannot ban the film because it’s a Lebanese production.
Jalil asserted that the film was produced by an international platform, and it did not ask for screening it in Egypt, and if this was requested, the film would be subject to Egypt’s terms and standards of film screening.
He continued: “I have not seen the film, but of course any scenes that violate the values, traditions, and strict censorship standards in Egypt will not be allowed.”
The original Italian film “Perfect Strangers” was produced in 2016, and was one of the films participating in the Cairo Film Festival at the time.
The film revolves around seven friends who meet for dinner, and decide to play a game where everyone puts their cell phones on the dinner table, provided that all new messages or calls are in full view for everyone.
Egyptian filmmakers and critics commented on the film on social networks. Actress Iman Al-Asi expressed her admiration, saying it’s “a very good movie.” Film critic Tarek Al-Shennawy said that the film did not promote homosexuality.
Meanwhile, lawyer Ayman Mahfouz criticised the film, and called on the Ministry of Culture to ban the film in Egypt. He said he would file a lawsuit against the film because “it promotes homosexuality”.
Moreover, Mostafa Bakry, the member of the Egyptian House of Representatives, demanded the state to stop dealing with Netflix in order to preserve the Egyptian family values. He said that he had submitted an urgent statement to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hanafy El Gebali, to take legal action against the film’s makers.
