Mahfouz characters go on trial in old Cairo
CAIRO: In the Wekalet Al-Ghoury district of old Cairo, a convoy of prisoners was paraded before an audience and made to stand trial.They stood accused of murder, revenge, thievery, conniving…
Review: God's country and the promise of "Sweet Land"
CAIRO: A romantic comedy, "Sweet Land is a rare independent feature film that explores the assimilation of immigrants in the United States during the 1920s and is one of the…
Theatrical premier overshadows "Cut and Paste" screening
Egyptian film applauded by critics and gets a thumbs up from cast's familiesCAIRO: It started like any other film screening at the Cairo International Film Festival: film starts, people watch,…
Argentinean star captivates Egypt
Mia Maestro talks Hollywood, Latin American cinema and Arabic moviesCAIRO: In a graceful black cocktail dress, Argentinean knock-out Mia Maestro turned all heads as she walked into a hall teaming…
Present and Tense: The making of a king – lesson one
Frankly, I didn't know where to begin. Ahmad Rashad, future king of the Greater Middle East, was sitting on my sofa watching television and waiting for his education to commence.…
Cairo International Film Festival Highlights
SATURDAYIndigenes (Algeria)The 2006 Cannes winner for best ensemble male cast tells the forgotten true story of the bravery of four Algerian WW II soldiers fighting the Nazis for the French…
Inside the Middle East diary
In the TV news business, if a story breaks, you better be ready to turn on a dime, pack your bags and head to the nearest airport.I was calmly preparing…
British secret plan to cut Nile flow in 1956
LONDON: Britain made secret plans to cut off the flow of the Nile to undermine Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser weeks before the Suez crisis in 1956, according to papers…
Denial to existence of Aids is an impediment in the Middle East
CAIRO: An American University in Cairo panel marking World Aids Day highlighted the need to combat misconceptions still held by the media and the social stigma and taboos which surround…
Amideast works toward American-Middle East understanding
CAIRO: In a world increasingly wrought by cultural misunderstanding, violent demonstrations and war, misconceptions of peoples across the pond are hard to shake.But eventually, as even the most prohibiting of…