COMM 3202 International Film

Cinema of Egypt

History of Country:
Egypt is a country located in North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea, and is home to one
of the oldest civilizations on earth. While the civilizations rulers, writing, natural
climate, religion and borders have changed many times, Egypt remains as a modern-day
country. Egyptian culture is popular because of its great monuments, tombs, temples, oral
traditions, and works of art that tell stories of life. Ancient Egypt has a long history that
recently has been uncovered and excavated. Egypt is the epitome of globalization. The
country has always been connected with other parts of the world, importing and exporting
goods, religions, food, people and ideas. Egypt has also been occupied by other powers in
the early years by the Persians, Nubians, Greeks, and Romans.
Capital:
Cairo

Area Size:
390,100 mi

Population:
94,666,993 (July 2016 est.)

Religions:
Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 90%, Christian (majority Coptic Orthodox, other
Christians include Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, Maronite, Orthodox, and Anglican)
10% (2012 est.)

Ethnic Groups:
Egyptian 99.6%, other 0.4% (2006 census)

Languages:
Arabic is the official language, while English and French are widely understood by
educated classes. Egyptian Arabic (68% of speakers), Saidi Arabic (29% of speakers),
Arabic (1.6% of speakers), Sudanese Arabic (0.6% of speakers)

Unemployment:
The unemployment rate in Egypt decreased to 12.40 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016
from 12.60 percent in the third quarter of 2016 Unemployment Rate in Egypt
averaged 10.88 percent from 1993 until 2016.

Poverty Below Poverty Line:

27.8% (est. 2015)

Wealth:
GDP:
Per Capita - 3,614.75 USD (2015)
USA Equivalent - 330.8 billion USD (2015)

Economy:
Egypts economy has been experiencing instability, resulting in certain groups suffering
at the cost of government spending. In order for the poorest of people to buy necessary
needs and to avoid riots, the country needs to take out a loan. Prices of imported goods
has increased along with a shortage of subsidized products. While there is a growing gap
between the wealth and the poor, the current president is trying to build and launch a
satellite. He has even asked citizens to donate anything they can to help alleviate the
countrys debt. In the past, Egypt was had reform projects helped to stabilize the
economy that were successful. As of now, current president Abdel-Fttah el-Sissis hope
for the economy is riding on this satellite.

Industries:
Agriculture, automotive manufacturing, construction, steel manufacturing, oil and gas,
cotton cultivation, and textile production. Egypt also has a tourism industry along with
pharmaceuticals.

Key Social Forces:

Egypt has had many key forces that have helped shape and influence the country. Egypt
has world-renowned writers and filmmakers that have played important roles giving
intellectuals a platform to broadcast political, cultural, and social issues faced. Figures
such as Al-Azhar have held positions of power that have cultivated Egypts society. There
have also been several social justice demonstrations such as the youth movement, labor
movement, and womens movement. One of the most recent events that really impacted
the country was the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. The date was picked to be the same as
the annual Police Day, by various groups. They wanted to make a statement against
police brutality during the last few years of Mubaraks presidency. The revolution
consisted of demonstrations, marches, non-violent protests and strikes. People from all
over the country from different backgrounds came together to overthrow Mubarak. The
capital of Egypt was considered a war zone. Protesters went against the governments
curfew. In the end, Mubarak resigned from his presidency, and the Supreme Council of
the Armed Forces and Muslim Brotherhood took power until El-Sisi was elected as
president by popular election in 2014.

Natural Disasters/Diseases:
Egypt has experienced some natural disasters throughout the years that consist of fires,
earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides. Below are charts that breakdown natural disaster
and mortality in the country according to Egypts disaster and risk profile on
PreventionWeb. Food and waterborne diseases, travelers diarrhea, cholera, hepatitis
(A,B, and C), and schistosomiasis are major medical concerns for the country. In ancient
Egypt, there was concern regarding polio, eye diseases, illnesses caused by scorpions or
serpents, and tuberculosis.
Film History:
Egypt is known as the most productive country in the middle east for film production.
On November 5, 1896, the first short films The Lumiere Brothers were shown in
Alexandria. Less than one year later, the premiere of Paris set Egypt as the pioneer of
cinema in the region. The success of early shows let to the opening of multiple small
theaters throughout Cairo and Alexandria. The cinema of Egypt has been consistent in the
capital, Cairo. Cairo has been holding annual international film festivals sine 1976. Most
films that were shown were movies that were shot on location in Egypt but produced by
outside countries. Silent films were first introduced in the country during the 1890s. With
the coming of sound, Cairo became a force to reckon with. During 1930-1936, 44 feature
films were produced. In 1936, Studio Misr became the leading Egyptian equivalent to
Hollywoods major studios. The 1940s up until the 1960s were the golden ages for film in
Egypt. There was a decline around the 1970s with films that were deemed to not have
content or quality of any kind. Nowadays, cinema has split in various directions. Some
films are popular and seen similar to Western films. Others are forms of art cinema that
grab the locals attention.

Genres/Conventions:
It is interesting to note how some films offer an array of themes such as gender roles,
feminism, and Islamic and popular ideas about sexuality. Melodrama and Bedouin love
adventures were the main themes of Egypts silent era. Musicals have been the preferred
genre of Egyptian cinema and a key component for early success in the countrys film
industry.

Notable Films:

Al Wardah al-Baid (The White Rose)

o Second Egyptian musical
o Led to musicals being the preferred genre
1933
Directed by Muhammad Karim
Starred Arab legend Abdel Wahab
Film was shown in all Arab countries and became a blockbuster hit
Dominated the film industry in the 1940s
One of the first talking films about star crossed lovers. Raga falls for Galal, who
works for her father. When her father finds out about their relationship, Galal is
fired and the pair has to go through trials and tribulations of people trying to
separate them. The two are from different social classes and have to fight to prove
their love.
 Cairo Station
1958
Directed by Youssef Chahine
Film focused on the life of a newsstand owner that is unlucky when it comes to love
and women. Kinawi is physically challenged. He becomes obsessed with a
woman named Hannuma who sells drinks. She leads him on to thinking she is
interested in a relationship so when Kinawi proposes to her, she denies it. This
movie explores themes of social injustice, cultural norms, love, and suffering.
Was nominated for Berlins International Film Festival in 1958
Was nominated for Egypts entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 31st
Academy Awards
687
2010
Directed by Mohamed Diab
Won Best Actor and Best Actress in a feature for Dubais International Film
Festival in 2010
o Was also nominated for Best Feature Film
Won the Jury Grand Prize award for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in 2011
o Was also nominated for Best Performance by an Actress
Won Best Feature Film, Best International Feature, and Best Actor for the
Chicago international Film Festival in 2011
o Was also nominated for Best International Feature
Won Best Movie and Best Film Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival in
2011
Won Best Film in the Sydney Film Festival
Won Dramatic Feature for the Heartland Film Festival in 2012
Film focuses on the sexual harassment of women from different social classes in
Egypt. The movie follows three women in search of justice. Fayza is a low-
income government employee who gets harassed in a taxi and bus on her way to
work. Seba is a middle class jewelry designer who gets harassed in a stadium by a
group of men while her husband is unaware of what is going on. The last story is
of Nelly who is a standup comedian who gets verbally harassed by someone over
the phone, and physical harassed by a truck driver. Each cope with their emotional
experiences and try to make impactful changes.
Notable Directors:

Youssef Chahine
o 1926-2008
Chahine was active in the Egyptian film industry from 1950 up until his death. He
is the recipient for the Cannes 50th Anniversary Award for a lifetime-achievement.
He is credited for helping to launch the career of Omar Sharif. Chahine is known
for pushing the envelope with his work. In his films, he brings visibility to
corruption in the country, social injustice, and incorporating LGBT themes.

Mohamed Khan
o 1942-2016
Khan is most known for his work during the 1980s. He shot using documentary
techniques and focused on realism depicting everyday life in Cairo. He has done
several short films and feature films that have earned him multiple awards for
International Film Festivals. In 1963 he worked as a scriptwriter for a Cairo
production company. He then spent a few years being an assistant director, and
decided to write a book Introduction to the Egyptian Cinema.
 Mahmoud Zulfikar
o 1914-1970
Zulfikar directed over 40 films during his career. His is best known for his film Soft
Hands that was entered into Berlins 14th International Film Festival. His other
popular works include For Men Only and El Khouroug min el Guana.He was
nominated for multiple awards in Berlins International Film Festival in 1963 for
his film El Aydi el Naema. The father in the film has two daughters, one who is
married to a poor man. This film brings discussion regarding love, social classes,
and what society deems as important when looking for a partner.

Notable Actors:

Omar Sharif
o 1932-2015
He began his acting career in Egypt but is very well known in American
and British productions. Some of his popular films include Lawrence of
Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), and Funny Girl (1968). He was
nominated for an Academy Award and received multiple Golden Globe
Awards. What is very interesting is that Sharif knew multiple languages.
He knew Arabic, English, French, Spanish. Portuguese, and Italian. He
tended to be casted as a foreigner for films.
 Faten Hamama
o 1931-2015
Hamama made her big debut in 1939. She started out having minor roles that
helped build her credibility and experience. She is now considered an icon in
Egypt. She is an important figure because she emphasizes the importance of
women in the film industry and Egyptian society. She was all about women
empowerment and wanted to see change. She did some television work and was
selected as Star of the Century by the Egyptian Writers and Critics Organization
in 2000. Eight of the films she has starred in were included in the top 100 films in
history of Egyptian cinema by the committee of the Supreme Council of Culture
in Cairo.

Mona Zaki
o 1976 (40 years old)
What is interesting about Zaki, was that she did not want to become an actress. She
accidentally started her career after meeting Mohamed Sobhi, another famous
actor/director. She has had a few television roles that helped boost her stardom.
She used to study mass communications at the university of Cairo but did not
really believe in herself. Now she is determined to work at becoming a great
actress. So far, she has received a few awards at film festivals and has gained
popularity in Egypt.
 Works Cited

Disease in Ancient Egypt. (n.d.). Retrieved May 07, 2017, from

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/age/disease.html

Egypt Demographics Profile 2016. (2016, May 6). Retrieved May 07, 2017, from

http://www.indexmundi.com/egypt/demographics_profile.html

Egypt's Key Social Forces. (n.d.). Retrieved May 07, 2017, from

http://www.mideasti.org/transitions/social-forces

Egypt Unemployment Rate 1993-2017 Data (n.d.). Retrieved May 07, 2017, from

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/egypt/unemployment-rate

Mark, J. (2009). Ancient Egypt. Retrieved May 08, 2017, from

http://www.ancient.eu/egypt/

Masriya, A. (n.d.). 27.8 percent of Egyptian population lives below poverty line:

CAPMAS. Retrieved May 07, 2017, from http://www.egyptindependent.com/

news/278-percent-egyptian-population-lives-below-poverty-line-capmas

Michaelson, R. (2017, March 10). Egypt's economy is in crisis. So why is the government

spending millions on a fancy new space agency? Retrieved May 07, 2017, from

http://www.newsweek.com/2017/03/10/egypts-economy-crisis-government-

spending-millions-new-space-agency-561743.html

Most Popular People Born In "Egypt". (n.d.). Retrieved May 08, 2017, from

http://www.imdb.com/search/name?birth_place=Egypt

Seddiek, A. (2012, January 17). Best Egyptian Movies Done in the last 15 Years.

Retrieved May 08, 2017, from http://www.imdb.com/list/ls000065316/

Plagiarism Checklist
CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) (X) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( X ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for

other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( X ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around

those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( X ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources

cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( X ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally

read.

6) ( X ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not

be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the
bibliography.

7) ( X ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks

interpretation or originality.

8) ( X ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully

transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: ___Jailene Burgos_______ Date: ___5/8/17__