No more blue pencils HUNDREDS of writers, directors, actors and intellectuals issued a statement last week calling for the annulment of the Egyptian Board of Censors (EBC), a large body of individuals under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture that has the final say over the content of any film. The body also insists on reading and approving screenplays before allowing filmmakers to enter the production phase. The signatories argue that following 25 January Egypt should be a free and open country that does not permit oppression, especially when it comes to the film industry. "The world has changed drastically over the past couple of years, and yet Egypt has remained the same," the statement read. "However, censorship has long been annulled in regard to printed media, which has allowed Egyptian books and authors to achieve worldwide recognition and great successes," it continued. Scriptwriters Mohamed Suliman, Amr Samir Atef and Wael Hamdi and directors Amir Ramses, Mahmoud Kamel, Hani Khalifa and Marian Khouri were among the famous names whose signatures appeared on the statement. According to the effective censorship law, the role of EBC is to maintain order, ethics and public interest, terms that, in the words of the statement, are quite flexible and allow for several interpretations consistent with individual whim. In addition to annulling the EBC, the statement called for turning the board into a specialized entity responsible only for rating movies according to age groups. The statement also called for freezing the current censorship law until the next legislative elections in order for it to be replaced with a new law more appropriate to the new, post-revolutionary Egypt. Poems of the revolution IN A SEMINAR convened last week at the Alef library in Maadi to celebrate the success of the revolution, the poet Sayed Hegab introduced his latest poem, " Mawawel fi Kalb al-Medan" ("Ballads in the Heart of the Square"). Hegab opened the seminar by asking participants to observe a minute's silence to mourn those who perished in the uprising. Hegab looked back to one of his most famous pieces, "21 Bullets", which he wrote following the 1967 defeat. "I fear that on the night of victory, we will win Sinai but lose Egypt," went the last verse of the poem. The former regime, Hegab explained, had destroyed all manner of values, social and ethical standards in Egyptian society. "It has allowed for the appearance of a low standard of art that speaks to one's instincts rather than one's brain." He added, however, that all that had been changed by the revolution. "Young Egyptians have managed to decapitate that rotten regime with their strong will," Hegab said. He insisted that although some of the symbols of the old regime were still there, it was only a matter of time before they were "swept away and held accountable for their crimes." Hegab was speaking before last Monday's cabinet changes . Hegab continued that the young people of the 25 January revolution had also managed to unify the entire population, thus "melting all kinds of social, financial, religious and cultural barriers between everyone." First-time interest FILM director Dawoud Abdel-Sayyed was critical of forthcoming films focusing on the 25 January revolution, expected to be produced in the near future. In a statement issued last week, Abdel-Sayyed described such movies as "commercial projects made with enthusiasm and a desire to support the revolution, but lacking the artistic value needed to make them of any value to future generations." Most of the films, he said, would most probably revolve around love stories that blossomed in Tahrir Square. Abdel-Sayyed, however, considers documentary films to be the best way to record the revolution in its true sense. "This is because documentaries provide a direct and straightforward approach to keeping a record of the revolution," he said. In his opinion, what happened in the country was like an earthquake that shook millions of Egyptians who had absolutely no interest whatsoever in any public matter prior to the event. "These people have turned into revolutionists who are witnessing history in the making. This requires a different kind of a movie industry from the one we had," he said. "They now need a more courageous, aware and realistic industry that speaks to their minds rather than libido." Together we stand IN A BOLD initiative that might be the first of its kind in Egypt, ten of Egypt's most talented film directors are planning to co-direct a movie portraying the Egyptian revolution. Each of the ten directors will work separately on a ten- minute movie, and then the movies will be combined into a 100-minute film. Among the participants are Yousri Nassrallah, Kamla Abu Zekri, Amr Salama, Hani Khalifa and Mohamed Diab. The movie, which is already in the making, was the idea of director Marwan Hamed. Among the scriptwriters who are due to participate are Belal Fadl and Mariam Naaoum. Each of the directors will produce his or her section depending on a private budget, then a meeting will be held to come up with a joint vision that will combine them all into one film. "I am very scared," director Kamla Abu Zekri said. "It may be the most important production of my life." Abu Zekri, who is now waiting for Fadl's script to start working, has announced that she plans to use upcoming young actors whom she met in Tahrir Square. Compiled by Salonaz Sami
