After going dark last year because of political revolution, the Cairo Film Festival was set to come back in 2012 stronger than ever: entries from 64 countries, 3 competitions and a slate of political, edgy movies. But the opening of the festival, which was scheduled for Tuesday, had to be postponed once again because of political unrest in the city. Opening night is now scheduled for Wednesday.
After President Mohamed Morsi seized new powers last week, police and demonstrators clashed in Tahrir Square. The film festival's director, Ezzat Abo Ouf, decided to postpone opening night, according to the Egyptian news agency Ahram.
Even before its planned start, the festival, which began in 1976, was already deeply engaged politically. This year's festival honors those who died in the 25th of January Revolution. The opening night movie, “Winter of Discontent,†by the Egyptian director Ibrahim El Batout, is an account of last winter's events on the streets of C airo. It recounts the lives of an activist, a journalist and a state security officer as the revolution approaches.
In the light of the anti-government uproar, the festival's sponsorship by the ministry of culture has taken on new significance. Wael Omar, one of the directors of the Egyptian film “In Search of Oil and Sand,†declared:
“I refuse to participate in a film festival associated with the ministry of culture when the Egyptian government is attacking citizens on the streets as they voice their disagreement with Morsi's undemocratic and unprecedented Constitutional Declaration, which placed him as a dictator.â€
Mr. Omar and his co-director have withdrawn their movie from the competition.
