Egyptian censors have refused to give the green light for shooting the film Estanjalina, which is scripted by Walid Yousef and directed by Sayyed Seif.
Head censor Madkour Thabet confirmed that the refusal was not due to any violations in the film’s script, but rather due to its Italian name.
“The moment the film’s name is changed, the green light for the shooting will be given immediately,” Thabet told the UAE Al Bayan daily.
Yousef, and Seif are outraged by the ban, pointing out that censors previously allowed the shooting of the film Rendezvous.
“Estanjalina is a name that presents the film’s theme, which was shot at a hospital for psychological and nervous diseases,” says the writer. “It is a common word inside such hospitals, and if it is changed, the film and the song it includes under the same name will lose their meaning.
The director had submitted a grievance and requested the presentation of a copy of the script to the Censorship Higher Committee in an attempt to reverse the decision.
Among the candidates for starring roles in the film are Shireen Seif Al Naser, Hisham Abdel Hamid, Wael Noor and Sawsan Bader -- Albawaba.com
