Haifa’s film and the Role of the Prime Minister

And the Prime minister of Egypt Ibrahim Mahlab has made something no other Prime minister in the history of modern Egypt made before.
From two days ago he issued his decision to suspend a film called “Halawet Rooh” from screening in the cinemas. Yes the Prime minister of Egypt banned for the first time a film in the cinema.
“Halawet Rooh” is produced by none other the notorious cult films pioneer Ahmed El-Sobky , directed by Sameh Abdel Aziz and starring the Arab world  Lebanese sex bombshell Haifa Wehbe.
Now for those who do not know “Halawet Rooh” is actually the Egyptian version of the famous Italian film “Malena” ,  yup that award wining sad romantic film starring Monica Bellucci. Of course the filmmakers of “Halawet Rooh” do not say that it was plagiarized despite the posters of the film were ripped off completely from the original Italian film.

Unlike the award winning Italian film , “Halawet Rooh” film is another disgusting cult film.
One look to the trailer and its official song or even worse ; the statements of its stars you will know what I am talking about !!

Here is Mohamed Lotfy , one of its stars claiming that he was happy for raping Haifa that he cried !! You know that you do not get often to rape a sex symbol in front of the camera !! In the same video you can see folk singer Hakim .
The disgusting trailer of the film made many people believe that Haifa Wehbe is having a sexual affair with a 13 years old boy in the film and thus it created huge anger online with calls to the government to ban this film that corrupts the youth’s morals. We got Facebook pages and twitter campaigns against El-Sobky and his films.
The National council of Motherhood and Childhood in Egypt also weighted in that campaign. The council issued an official statement accusing the filmmakers of violating the Child law No.126 for year 2008 and abusing children and using them in a film that include scenes that affect the children morals.
And the decision of Mahlab came to save the society and its morals. The day is saved indeed !!
People cheered for the decision with any regards to its implications or the fact that it violated the Constitution. Yes the Constitution which was approved by the majority of Egyptians. Here is article no.67 from the Egyptian Constitution 2014
No lawsuit may be initiated or filed to stop or confiscate any artistic, literary, or intellectual works, or against their creators except by the Public Prosecutor. No freedom restricting sanction may be inflicted for crimes committed because of the publicity of artistic, literary or intellectual product. As for crimes related to the incitement of violence, discrimination between citizens, or impingement of individual honor, the Law shall specify the penalties therefore.
Not to mention that the mission of the State’s censorship board. Already this is not the role of the prime minister !!
This incident means any film or TV show or newspaper can be stopped by the order of the prime minister allegedly to protect the vague board society’s morals.
Ironically this is what our so-called intellectuals feared during the Muslim Brotherhood’s rule !!
By the way filmmakers , artists and intellectuals are angry but not angry enough about this dangerous incident as I see it. Again I can not keep thinking on how they would be defending the film if such decision was taken by former PM Hisham Qandil.

Needless to see banning the film in the cinemas won’t stop the sexual harassments or make young men behave in a proper way when everyone got access so easily to soft and hardcore porn. The film is already available online.

For God sake Sex is the most searched word in Egypt and only last week Egypt’s latest social sexual scandal infamous hero from Mahalla Abdel Fatah El-Saidy toppled Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Google search !!
I hate El-Sobky’s films and want him to be stopped in the right way. The right way is to find people boycotting such films and arts altogether.When people boycott such films without the interfere of the state , you will know that the society is on the right path.

El-Sobky’s recipe of cult blockbusters in Egypt is simple songs, bully dancers, Vulgarity, nudity, tough guys, beatings, sexual innuendos and cheap jokes. Usually that cheap recipe makes him earn millions every year despite the objections and screams of the true filmmakers in this country. The butcher-turned producer does not give to these objections , claims that these were the objections of the elite cinema intellectuals and that he represents the true working class of Egypt.

On Friday the head of Censorship board Ahmed Awad  resigned to object the decision of the prime minister. Of course those who support the decision of the Prime minister are attacking Awad claiming that he allowed this film to be screened in Egypt because Awad directed once a film produced by El Sobky.
Personally I believe that PM Mahlab gave both El-Sobky and Haifa Wehbe one million dollar publicity and they are using it great.  It hurts me to see that Prime minister of Egypt gets down to this degree and bans a film honestly. Already now El-Sobky is appearing in the media every where as a victim. Haifa Wehbe found another scandal to become the talk of town. He is claiming that he is defending the freedom of creativity.

By the way El-Sobky used to produced rubbish films that smash the box office way beyond the 25 January revolution. I had to remind people with this fact because I fed up claiming that the revolution brought up that kind of cinema !! Well If you want to speak about the cinema which is produced by the 25 January revolution than speak about “Rags and Tatters” and “Winter of discontent”.
Also several friends believe that we are back to the time when the regime used to create pseudo scandals and crises to keep away the public from things that matter.

zienobia and her post about the movie which was the head-line of all egyptians talks in last week, (Halawet Rooh).

http://egyptianchronicles.blogspot.com/2014/04/haifas-film-and-role-of-prime-minister.html