Legendary actress Samiha Ayoub has expressed her admiration towards the Cairo Film Festival’s administration for its stand against the “Israeli atrocities towards the Palestinian people.”
According to Al Jumhuriah newspaper, the actress said “I am very pleased that the opening of the festival included the song of Christ and a recorded documentary of what is happening in the occupied Palestinian land.”
“What the festival did is voice its disappointment in everything that is happening in the Arab world because of Israel, which is something that Sa’ed Eddine Wihbe talked about always.”
The late Wihbe was Ayoub’s husband and the former chairman of the festival.
“He had a great sense when it came to the Israeli mentality and this is why he refused their participation in the festival and why he was against normalization,” she explained.
As for her opinion of the festival since her husband died, the actress said “I do not doubt that today’s festival is different; but each era had its own taste, character and direction and it would be difficult to keep something as it is because we need to improve and change.”
Ayoub added that “what is important is that (current chairman and actor) Hussein Fahmi is working hard to modernize the festival.”
She also commented on the absence of three foreign judges, 2 Americans and 1 British, the actress said “this is not something that lessons the impact of the festival. I say welcome to all those who participate in the festival and good riddance to all those who chose to apologize.”
Only days before the festival’s opening ceremony, the three judges refused to attend unless the festival removes two prescheduled films in support of the Palestinian Intifada.
The feisty star also has something to say on this year’s miniscule Arab participation.
“This happened because the Arab film production was stagnant for a while and another factor is that one term of the festival is that the movie to participate is not to be shown anywhere else prior to the festival.”
Ayoub then went into more personal details of her career saying that she will next be filming a “humanitarian part in a surprise series, Awan El Ward (Time for the Roses), alongside Yusra.”
After recovering from her current illness, the actress expects to return passionately to the screen. – Albawaba.com.
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
