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Censorship on movies before showing

This is a sort of new movie pre-showing censorships?

A question swirling in minds of movie makers after an odd decision by Egyptian Censorship Authority (ECA), state’s sole authorized art works censor since a half-century, to get Ministry of Interior’s permission to latest releases (actually five) before movies are shown in public – an unheard of practice.

Naturally, a series of questions come on heel:

Under whose direction is this?

Ministry of Interiors’?

Higher superior authorities’?

Or, simply, ECA’s?

Too many questions for serious decisions.     

In response, movie makers have shown concerns over what they see as a relapse back into an all-state control over arts and media. More, latest decision, stakeholders say, come at a time that where almost all countries remove all signs of censorships Egyptian state is, apparently, keen to censor more. So, alongside ECA’s and Al Azhar’s, Ministry of Interiors’ latest “right to censor” joins a seemingly never-shrinking list.

Masgoon Transit

Crew of Masgoon Transit (Prisoner In Transit), starring Ahmed Ezz, Nour Al Sheriff, Eman Al Assy and directed by Sandra Nashaat, was surprised when officials from Ministry of Interiors interfered with movie and “asked” some scenes be “changed” (“re-shot”). These include Ezz’s runaway from prison and Al Sheriff’s, who plays a retired police general, betrayed by his wife.  

     
  
Nems Bond

Similarly, Nems Bond, went through same process (two days only prior to showing): Movie referral by ECA to Ministry of Interiors, Ministry of Interiors’ officials’ visits and requests to “change,” “add,” or “edit out”. ECA’s justification: Bond is all about cops. That is why, says ECA, Ministry’s say in movie is all too crucial.

According to scriptwriter Tarek Abdel Gilil, however, “There isn’t a single political reference, explicit or implicit, in Nems. I’m all but too surprised by decision and so is all movie industry.”

People and State

Al Balad Dee Feha Hokoma (This Is State of Law!) is another joiner. According to Abdel Aziz Hashad, movie director, Hokoma includes no scenes whatsoever demeaning re shooting. Unfortunately, movie makers and Ministry of Interiors reached a dead end only to finally agree on scenes to be edited out.

Hokoma stars Tamer Hagras, Ezat Abu Ouf, Nermin Maher, Khalil Morsy and Mohamed Al Khola’y and is written by Tarek Hammam.

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