Egyptian actress Laila Elwi has recently participated in the culture week held in Damascus by al Mada publishing house.
At the beginning of the meeting, Elwi expressed deep concern about the latest developments in the occupied Arab territories, specially the bloody confrontations that flared up in the occupied Palestinian territories and the crimes being perpetrated against the defenseless Palestinians. She pointed out that one of the reasons that pushed her to take part in this event was its holding under the title of “Greeting to the Palestinian People,” because these people who are confronting the Zionist savagery bravely deserve to be greeted, according to the daily Syria Times.
About her beginning, Elwi said that early in her childhood, she used to go to the opera house and theatres with her parents. Such recent visits to theatres made her attracted to acting. Then she talked about her first works and the features that constituted important stages in her career.
In reply to a question about her role in the film al Massir (The Fate), Elwi said that the role of the gypsy woman was one of the most important roles, pointing out that despite being historical, the film includes several modern connotations.
Elwi pointed that she took part in several political films stressing the necessity of indirect dealing of politics in cinema. Otherwise, the audience will find themselves before abstract political ideologies.
She added that many movies were produced about the Palestinian question and the Arab-Israeli conflict in Egypt and Palestine. She said that it is not only the responsibility of Syria and Egypt to produce these films. Rather it is the responsibility of all Arab states.
Regarding the weakness of the Arab cinema production, Elwi said that this problem is mainly related to the lack of awareness of the bodies responsible for film marketing which is an independent science these days. This problem doesn't exist in the Egyptian cinema only, but also in the European cinema.
Elwi has taken part in more than 65 features films, the most prominent of them were with the famous Egyptian comedian Adel Imam, Farouq al Fishawi and Noor al Sehrif. She also played roles in more than 13 TV series and seven plays.
The success of Olwi’s roles and her wide reputation in the Arab world were due to her capability to play different roles in a realistic way. She played roles that shed light on the problems of the Arab and Egyptian women. In Husband Under Request, she played the role of a poor girl who was forced to marry a rich man who is 30 years her senior. The film tackles the problem of the materialistic-based marriage from which many societies suffer.
The Egyptian actress also played roles in films that deals with the problem of drug trafficking in the Arab societies and means of combating it – Albawaba.com
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
