Goodbye, China Back from China last week, the Cairo Opera House Company's performance of Aida in Beijing was a great success. Cairo Opera House Director Abdel-Moneim Kamil, himself Aida 's director, was very gratified by the reception accorded to his company by the Chinese. The staging of Aida in Beijing came as part of the festivities held worldwide in preparation for the launching of the Olympic Games, set to begin tomorrow. photos: Abdel-Hamid Eid The ninth Sharm El-Sheikh Video Clip Oscar Festival was organised under the auspices of Red Sea Governor Magdi El-Qubesi and presided over by Abdel-Moneim Saad. The festival honoured among several artists composer Mohamed Sultan, maestro Selim Sahab, Moroccan singer Samira Said, veteran actor Mahmoud Yassin, actress Madiha Youssri and singer Nadia Mustafa. Veiled actress Sabrine attended the closing ceremony to congratulate the honoured artists. Turkish artist Kivanç Tatlitug, known as Mohanad in his leading role in the Turkish TV series Gèmès (Noor), which is extremely popular in the Arab world, was on a short visit to Jordan. The visit was intended for the actor to undertake humanitarian activities in the Arab world, a region to which he owes so much for his popularity. In Jordan, he was warmly received and spent a full day with the children with special abilities at the Peace Lady's Centre. At the end, the centre granted him its honorary shield and Jordanian Culture Minister Nancy Bakeer held a reception in his honour. The Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), in cooperation with the Indian Embassy in Cairo, is organising an Indian classical Kuchipudi dance performance by Vyjayanthi Kashi, who will be accompanied by violin performance by Anupriya, at the National Theatre in Ataba Square on 13 August. The Indian cultural troupe will also perform at Alexandria Centre of Arts on 8 August and at the Open-Air Theatre in Shallalat Garden on 10 August, as well as at Marsa Matrouh's Cultural Palace on 9 August and also at Arish's Cultural Palace on 14 August. All performances will start at 8pm. Kuchipudi, the graceful classical dance form from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, is profoundly aesthetic. Kashi and Anupriya have both received several Indian and international awards and decorations for their contribution to their respective art forms over the years. At the Grand Hyatt Hotel, a press conference was held on the occasion of the start of shooting the new film Dokkan Shehata (Shehata's Kiosk) written by Nasser Abdel-Rahman, directed by Khaled Youssef, starring the same crew of his latest cinema hit Heen Maysara (Until Better Times): Amr Saad, Ghada Abdel-Raziq, Amr Abdel-Gelil and for the first time in cinema, sultry Lebanese singer Haifaa Wahbi. The film is a co-production between Kamel Abu Ali 's Albatross Production Company and Tycoon Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris. At Al-Nahas Studio in Haram, actors, actresses and media figures mourned the great filmmaker Youssef Chahine who passed away last week at the age of 82. Attending the service were his wife Colette Chahine, his student filmmaker Khaled Youssef, producer Gabi Khouri, actors Hani Salama, Salah El-Saadani, Yossra, Mohamed Mounir, Laila Elwi, Nadia El-Guindi, Nabila Ebeid, Ghada Adel, Ashraf Abdel-Baqi and Ahmed Helmi to mention but a few. photo: Ayman Barayez On the occasion of celebrating the Moroccan National Day, Moroccan Ambassador to Egypt Mohamed Farag Al-Dokali and his spouse Khaira Al-Fassi held a lavish reception at the Moroccan Embassy. It was crowned by the presence of President of the National Centre for Human Rights Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Meselhi, Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Maged George, Omani Ambassador Abdul-Aziz Al-Hanaai, US Ambassador Margaret Scobey, German Ambassador Bernd Erbel, actor Khaled Zaki, singer Samira Said, head of Lions Garden City Club Awatef Serageddin and head of the Women's Association for Heritage Samia Abul-Fotouh. Al-Ahram Weekly colleague Gamal Essam El-Din celebrated his wedding party. He and his beautiful spouse Eman enjoyed a fabulous night with friends and relatives at the Pearl Hall in Dar Al-Markabat, Nasr City. Essam El-Din, the Weekly 's political and parliamentary correspondent and Eman, an accountant, enjoyed a romantic honeymoon in Alexandria's Maamoura exquisite resort.
