A documentary on the late prominent Egyptian theatre critic and academic Nehad Selaiha titled Khafeef El-Rooh (Light Spirited) will be screened at the Creativity Centre tomorrow. The film is directed by Amr Qabil and is produced by the Egyptian Artists Organisation for Culture and Arts, a cultural NGO founded in 2015. Selaiha died earlier this year in January, leaving a gap in the theatre community as she was recognised and valued by theatre makers across generations. An academic, she held the post of professor of criticism and drama at the High Institute for Art Criticism since 1984, and in 2001 to 2003 she was dean of the same institution. Selaiha authored numerous books and hundreds of articles in both Arabic and English, varying from theory and criticism to translations of plays and critiques. She was the first theatre critic to write for the English-language Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper, where she also held the position of supervisor and editor of the theatre criticism section. Selaiha received awards including special recognition by the Cairo International Experimental Theatre Festival (1996), the State Award for Superior Achievement in Literary Studies (2003), the State Appreciation Award for Arts (2013), alongside numerous international recognitions handed to her at many theatre festivals. She was also recognised by various Arab theatre festivals, including the Sharjah Festival, the Gulf Cooperation Council Festival, the Carthage Festival, the Amman International Theatre Festival, and the Doha Arab Theatre Festival in 2012. Until the end, Selaiha was an avid supporter of the independent theatre scene, often guiding and supporting young artists about whom she also wrote extensively while documenting the history of Egyptian theatre. Programme: Thursday, 10 August, at 8pm Creativity Centre, Cairo Opera Grounds, Zamalek, Cairo 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
