First Lady Suzanne Mubarak visited Abul-Reesh children's hospital in Alexandria last week, where she visited with the young patients. Mrs Mubarak toured the hospital to observe the recent innovations it has undergone, and as well to chat with the children, discussing with them both their well-being and aspirations. Mrs Mubarak also spoke of upcoming plans for subsidised youth housing, The First Lady commended the work on the hospital, which cost an estimated LE75 million, broadening capabilities to offer healthcare services to one million patients. The past ten days have been enriching for film enthusiasts, the Panorama of the European Film held at Galaxy Cinema bringing to local screens an assortment of spectacular works. This unprecedented event was met with huge success, with most shows selling out long before the screening date. The festival was the brainchild of the talented Marianne Khouri, of Misr International Cinema (Youssef Chahine and Co), who not only organised the event, but as well camped out at the venue from early morning till late night to meet with viewers and fans. The event attracted a flurry of public personalities, including Youssef Chahine, actors Mahmoud Hemeida and Hani Salama, writers Sherif Hatata and Bahaa Taher, Mohamed Salmawy, editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram Hebdo, as well as our very own editor-in-chief, Hani Shukrallah and his delightful wife, our colleague Fatemah Farag. It seems that positive energy is in the air these days for Al-Ahram colleagues; our colleague Ezzat Ibrahim, deputy head of the foreign department in Al-Ahram newspaper got married to the amiable Magy Michele, an AP journalist in a big celebration at Mena House Operoi at the foot of the Pyramids. The party followed a traditional marriage service at Al-Maraashly Church in Zamalek. The party comprised a galaxy of the couples' most intimate friends who enjoyed the dance show featured by Nour and her band. Among Al-Ahram Weekly colleagues were our Editorial Consultant Samir Sobhi, newly named Managing Editor Galal Nassar, Hani Mustafa, Al-Ahram Organisation Managing Editor Hazem Abdel-Rahman, professor of political science at Cairo University Mohamed Kamal, as well as our very own cartoonist Tamer Youssef, who designed for the couple a special caricature printed on their wedding invitation. On the occasion of the 194th anniversary of the Independence day of Mexico, Mexican Ambassador in Egypt Miguel Orozco organised a mega party that gathered 400 people. Among them, almost 40 ambassadors from different parts of the world, including some of the new arrivals in the country, such as ambassadors of Japan, Canada, Thailand, Brazil and Peru. It was the third great National Day that Orozco conveyed in his beautiful villa in the Maadi district. Guests were greeted into the garden with none other, of course, than a "Margarita" welcome drink. Guests danced until early hours of the following day. Among Mexico's friends that day were American Ambassador in Egypt David Welch, Ambassador of Cameroon Mouchili Ismailia, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt Taher Helmy and gifted painter Farid Fadel. Last week, Sayeida Hassan, wife of the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Cairo Mahmoud Hassan hosted at her residence meetings of the Women's International Club, founded by Hoda Maher. The meeting included Lady Nadia Plumbly, wife of the British Ambassador to Cairo Sir Derek Plumbly, wives of Malawi and Senegal ambassadors, head of Egypt Language schools Magda Moussa as well as veteran journalists Afkar El-Kharadly, Aicha Abdel-Ghafar from Al-Ahram newspaper and Maha Abdel-Fatah from Al-Akhbar newspaper. Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Libyan Fateh Revolution, the general co- ordinator of Egyptian-Libyan relations Ahmed Qazaf Al-Dam and Libyan Ambassador in Egypt Wanis El-Masalati held a party at Grand Hyatt Hotel. On top of the guests' list were newly named Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Amr Salama, Presidential Political Adviser Osama El-Baz, Secretary- General of the Arab Economic Unity Ahmed Gweili, Moroccan Ambassador Farag El-Dokali, Algerian Ambassador Suleiman El-Sheikh, Palestine's representative at the Arab League Mohamed Sobeih as well as comedian Ahmed Bedeir, gifted actress Elham Shahine, veteran actress Magda and the delightful singer Ghada Ragab. European relations are high this season, with both film festivals and cultural affairs. The next is that of The German Festival 2004, organised by the Goethe Institute and the German Embassy from 2 to 12 October. The festival this year is organised under the auspices of the German Ambassador in Egypt Martin Kobler following the success of the German Festival 2003. It combines a large amount of different events in a compact schedule, in which Egyptians and Germans meet. The festival begins with a concert of one of the most famous German clarinist Martin Spangenberg, with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Kalb. Another musical highlight is the joint concert of Egypt's most celebrated pop star Mohamed Mounir and the Schöl Sick brass band. A jazzy classical oriental atmosphere is created at the concerts of the saxophonists band "Saxofourte" together with the Egyptian percussionist Mohamed Basha. In the project "Dar El-Hiwar-3" three groups of young artists from Germany and Egypt implement the dialogue of civilisations by means of fine art, thus turning the Goethe Institute in Bustan Street into an exhibition hall with an attached culture-café. Lovers of animation films are given a closer look into the Oscar-award-winning German animation film industry with the exhibition "New German Animation Movies" through screened movies and exhibits. Literature and philosophy are also present at the festival: lectures and panels by Salwa Bakr, Jochen Hippler and Albrecht Hofheinz deal with the topics of "The West and the Islamic World" and "Islam and the Internet". In the framework of the project "Town Chronicler" and the German-Arab literary forum MIDAD, author Ibrahim Farghali will describe his impressions about Stuttgart and about his life in Germany. New German movies, translated into Arabic specially for this festival, are to illustrate life in Germany to the Egyptian audience and introduce them to German creativity in this field as well. The festival concludes with the screening of the German silent documentary Berlin: Symphony of a City (1927), accompanied by electronic music by media artist Mahmoud Refaat. Last week, my diligent friend Italian Ambassador in Egypt Antonio Badini held a dinner party at his residence to bid farewell to the Ambassador of Switzerland Raimund Kunz and his gorgeous wife. Among Kunz 's friends who attended the dinner were former head of the parliament Sufi Abu Talib, Middle East correspondent at the famous Italian newspaper Courier de la Sera Antonio Ferrari, author and Editor-in-Chief of Al- Ahram Hebdo Mohamed Salmawy and his gifted artist wife Nazli Madkour, Assistant Editor-in-Chief at Akhbar Al-Yom newspaper Sonia Dabbous, member of Foreign Affairs Committee and Vice President of Tourism Committee at Al-Wafd Party Hassan Badrawi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass, newly named director of the media office at the Italian Embassy Andrea Catalano Di Melilli and the active director of the Italian Cultural Centre and Cultural Counsellor at the Italian Embassy Adelia Rispoli. Couple of days ago, a Latin American Film Festival titled "Cinema Under Construction" was inaugurated in the presence of the Argentinean director Ana Katz, Argentinean Ambassador in Egypt Osvaldo Pascual and Director of Cervantes Institute (the Spanish Cultural Centre in Egypt) Luis Moratinos. The festival was first founded according to the agreement between the International Cinema Festival of Donostia-San Sebastian and the body organising the Latin American cinematic meetings at Toulouse with the aim of supporting Latin American and Spanish films with financial difficulties. Cervantes Institute took the initiative to participate in this festival showing these movies at its different branches.
