Movie festival back in Cairo after two-year suspension

Colorful laser lights dazzled the sky above Cairo's Saladin Citadel, where hundreds of Egyptian and foreign moviemakers and stars had gathered on Sunday evening for the opening ceremony of the 36th Cairo International Film Festival, after a two-year suspension.

The ceremony was elegant, with the stage in an open-air hall in the heart of the citadel and an orchestra to its right. A total of 64 movies from 30 countries were shown at the festival.

Egypt joined in with Farewell Door, Decor and Wall of Heroism, China with Red Amnesia and The Blinding Sunlight, and European countries with 28 films.

"We believe the festival is a very good idea. We have really two outstanding German directors here, Volker Schlondorff with his movie Diplomacy and Fatih Akin. Akin is a very popular person in Germany with his latest film The Cut," said Gunther Hasenkamp, head of the cultural department at Germany's Goethe Institute in Cairo.

In his statement to the attendees, CIFF president Samir Farid says that holding the festival this year was "a great challenge to Egypt in light of the difficult conditions the country is going through", referring to the political chaos in Egypt over the past three years.

On the red carpet, Egyptian actress Elham Shahin hailed the return of the CIFF.

"The 36th session is very important as it comes after a period of suspension due to political turmoil and represents a strong return of Egypt whose most precious features are cinema and culture," Shahin tells Xinhua.

Egypt's top belly dancer, Dina, says it is very important for Egypt to host such international festivals.

The participant movie Eyes of a Thief gathered a collection of Arab stars, including Egyptian movie star Khaled Abuol-Naga, Algerian singer Souad Massi and Palestinian director Najwa Najjar.

Aboul-Naga, hero of the movie, says that the movie was a specific experience for him.

"It is also a very special experience for director Najwa Najjar for starring Egyptian, Algerian, Palestinian and Jordanian stars to portray the conditions of Arab citizens living in Palestine under occupation," Aboul-Naga says.

The experience was very difficult "but has special enjoyment because it was like a dream that has come true", says Najjar, noting the film is currently competing for the 2015 Oscars.

Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai is among the jury of the CIFF.

(China Daily USA 11/13/2014 page10)