Only a few hours before the official opening of the 24th annual Cairo International Film Festival on November 7th, 2000, the US threatened to withdraw from the official contest if the festival’s management goes through with showing a film on the martyr Palestinian child, Mohammad Durra.
According to Al Khaleej newspaper, the US representatives said that the American film participating in the festival this year, Map of the World will be immediately withdrawn if the film on Durra, a Palestinian child who was shot by Israeli bullets and died on the lap of his father, is shown and if the festival presents other live footage on the ‘Children of the Stones.’
The reps also specified that they do not want the footage of Ariel Sharon entering the holy site in Jerusalem to be shown.
American critic and member of this year’s festival Judicial committee, David Ansen, has already apologized for not being able to attend, citing that he was not ordered by the US Ministry of Foreign Affairs to withdraw from the event. According to Ansen, the US has declared the Middle East as a danger zone. – Albawaba.com.
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
