Egyptian film Haram El-Gasad (Sins of the Flesh) was screened at RomAfrica Film Festival, which ran from 14 to 16 July. The film was also screened in September last year at the Carthage Film Festival and the Vancouver International Film Festival, as well as at the Cork Film Festival in November, and will be screened at the African Diaspora International Film Festival in August. Directed by Khaled El-Hagar, the film stars Nahed El-Sebai, Ahmad Abdallah Mahmoud, Zaki Fateen Abdel-Wahab, Mahmoud El-Beezawi, and Salwa Mohamed Ali, and is produced by Misr International Films. El-Sebaey recently starred in the television series Heba Regl El-Ghorab, which screened before Ramadan. The film, described on its official website as "a tragic story of betrayal, oppression and murder," explores the events of the 25 January revolution in an unconventional way. Four characters live on a remote farm, shielded from the direct impact of the revolution, but living under its consequences. Fatma is torn between tradition, embodied in her husband Hassan, and her need for rebellion and renewal, which is stirred by her lover, Ali who escaped from prison. The corruption and greed of the rich elite is symbolised by the owner of the farm, Mourad. Due to its explicit content, the film was only shown in cinemas to audiences over 18 years old, and changes were made to the film's script. El-Hagar is an award winning director who started his career as an assistant director to the prominent late Egyptian director Youssef Chahine. His films often tackle sensitive and taboo subjects like sex or politics. Some of his well-known works include Room to Rent, Hob El-Banat (Girls' Love) and El-Shoq (Lust). El-Shoq was also selected as the Egyptian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards, but it did not make the final shortlist. El-Hagar's films have been screened at over 37 festivals and he is the recipient of nearly 27 national and international film awards, including the Prize of the City of Amiens in 1993 and three prizes at the Cairo International Film Festival in 2003, 2006 and 2010. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
