After months of turmoil that kept Egyptian cinemas empty, can the Middle East's oldest film industry fend off the Hollywood threat to enjoy a creative renaissance?
In Egypt, as across much of the Muslim world, today is Eid al-Fitr. But it's not the average Eid for Egyptian cinema: distributors and exhibitors are waiting to see how box office picks up during the three-day holiday – not only from the traditional month-long Ramadan nosedive – but from what's been a summer of uncertainty. "It depends on how local films do during the Bairam feast," says Antoine Zeind, president of United Motion Pictures (Ump), "If results are good, I think there will be an improvement [for the rest of the year], despite the fact that people have a lot of problems."
Entertainment hasn't exactly been the number one priority for Egyptians this year. Since the January revolution, the production line of local comedies that pack out auditoria in the capital and Alexandria,...
In Egypt, as across much of the Muslim world, today is Eid al-Fitr. But it's not the average Eid for Egyptian cinema: distributors and exhibitors are waiting to see how box office picks up during the three-day holiday – not only from the traditional month-long Ramadan nosedive – but from what's been a summer of uncertainty. "It depends on how local films do during the Bairam feast," says Antoine Zeind, president of United Motion Pictures (Ump), "If results are good, I think there will be an improvement [for the rest of the year], despite the fact that people have a lot of problems."
Entertainment hasn't exactly been the number one priority for Egyptians this year. Since the January revolution, the production line of local comedies that pack out auditoria in the capital and Alexandria,...
- 8/30/2011
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
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