HAUS DIGITAL

Egyptian Cinema Uncovered

The art of visual storytelling has always been an innate part of Egyptian culture, with ancient drawings and hieroglyphics documenting centuries of rich and vibrant history and traditions. It is a ritual that makes it seem almost inevitable the Egypt now stands at the epicentre of the world of both Arab and international filmmaking, being one of the first countries to embrace the language of film in the 1930s and 40s as a way to visually express the opulence and diversity of their culture and society.

It is a world of cinema often sadly ignored by the West, especially in the face of far more technically advanced and explosive Hollywood blockbusters that we now herald as the epitome of cool. Our often restrictive and overly politicised perceptions of the Arab world have ensured that most of us do not associate the Hollywood dominated world of cinema with less westernised countries such Egypt. Yet this has not always been the case. The advent of sound in films sparked what is now know as ‘The Golden Age’ of Egyptian cinema ,which really began in the early 40s, and carried on until the 70s when the film industry was nationalised, a move which is viewed by many as responsible for stifling innovative trends and sapping the dynamism of Egyptian filmmaking.

Cinema in Egypt came into its own with making of the film ‘Al-Azima’ (Determination). Made in 1939 by Kamal Selim, it pioneered a ‘socialist realism’ format, using an innovative documentary style to depict social problems drawn from real life and conditions in urban Cairo. While famous Italian director Roberto Rossellini is often credited as the founder of neo-realist cinema, Al-Azima could in fact be seen to pre-empt the now celebrated style of his masterpiece ‘Rome, Open City’. The script of the film, based around the directors observations of naturalistic speech and everyday existence, illustrated an extraordinary willingness to move away from the stylised glamour and melodrama of Hollywood cinema in a way that can only be celebrated and admired for its time.

Considered one of the most important Egyptian movies ever made, ‘The Mummy’ is a far cry from the 1999 Hollywood action-adventure of which we are all so familiar. Made in 1969, the film was restored in 2008 by the Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation, which is a fitting tribute to its beauty and ingenuity . It is based on the true story of the Horabat tribe, an upper Egyptian clan that regularly robbed a tomb of pharaohs to sell the artifacts on the black market. The success of the film can be put down to the precision of the director Shadi Abdel Salam, combined with a haunting score. His desolate imagery works poetically with the evocative movement of the camera in a way that ensures it moves from being a mere piece of cinema to an object of captivating art.

However, after the government took control of the film industry in the 1970s, Egyptian film fell from glory. Instead of continuing to champion originality and creativity, they began to churn out low-end budget comedies. Directly lifting storylines from popular American films, the defining features of the much of these movies is overacted melodrama, lacking the indulgent sophistication of early Egyptian cinema.

The rejuvenation of Egyptian film has only come about in the last decade, and it is an interesting movement to observe. Cinema is once again being seen as a way to convey social criticism on the state of Egypt currently, to break taboos and address religious and moral conflicts that are rife throughout their society. However, this is proving no easy feat.

One of the most remarkable modern Egyptian films that has faced such issues is ‘The Yacoubian Building’, adapted from the novel by Alaa Al-Aswani. The film focuses on the lives of the inhabitants of one apartment block, and through weaving their narratives strands into a dense and diverse tapestry, directly addresses issues of homosexuality, terrorism and political corruption in a way that caused ripples of outrage across the country on its release in 2007. And yet it paints a merciless and haunting picture of Egypt, providing a rare and illuminating window on ordinary Egyptian lives in a way that harks back to the golden age of the 50s. Its intimate and profound portrayal of each character, combined with luxuriant cinematography, ensured the film was an official selection of both the Berlin International Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival.

On a smaller scale, ‘Heliopolis’, released in 2009, is an equally captivating depiction of modern disintegration in Cairo, both with regards to the city and the morality of those who inhabit its walls. An independent film and the directorial debut of Ahmad Abdalla, it shows a beauty and complexity in depicting the everyday struggles of young people and the failure each has to address in their own lives. It is a film that shows far more influence from European art house than the crass styling of much popular Egyptian film, and again pushes the boundaries of social convention by confronting issues of social dissatisfaction and stagnation through a quasi-documentary style that is particularly effective. Highly praised at the Toronto International Film festival, it is further evidence that Egyptian cinema is once again reclaiming some of its international prestige of old.

At a time when so much stigma is attached to Arab culture and values, Egyptian cinema provides a vital insight into the diversity of a society so different from our own. It is a loss for the western world to disregard these films, which are permeated by a vibrancy and celebration of history and culture that is often sadly lacking in our own cinema. Film is taking an important role in enlightening and educating Egyptians  of the struggles facing their modern society, challenging social and gender stereotypes, and for this alone, the world should sit up and take notice.

Text: Hannah Elis Petersen