Cairo - Dozens of Syrian actors had to leave their homeland in the wake of the civil war that broke out in March 2011. They mainly moved to three Arab countries: Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt; the country which has been long dubbed as the ‘Hollywood of the Orient'. The collective memory easily recalls that composer, singer, virtuoso oud player, and actor 'Farid Al-Atrash' emigrated from Syria, as a child, with his mother and siblings to Egypt, escaping the French occupation 100 years ago. He, along with his sister 'Asmahan', found relief and fame in Cairo. Egypt is now the most important destination for Syrian actors, despite the difficulties they faced there, including the differences between the Egyptian and Syrian dialects. Several Syrian actors and producers speak of the reasons why they have chosen Egypt as watershed for their acting careers. One is actor and producer Farouq al-Shami, who resides in 6th of October City in Egypt.
