The second reason is that the film was primarily made for screening at film festivals.” The first is the unwillingness of production authorities to with the regulatory agencies in Egypt, especially since the film includes a large number of intimacy and sexuality scenes between male actors, which is inconsistent with Egyptian censorship laws. In the midst of the controversy, Fi al-Fan website quoted sources as saying that “the film will not be screened in Egypt for several reasons. 15, Omar Abdel Aziz, head of Egypt’s Federation of Artistic Syndicates, lashed out at the movie for contradicting the values of Arab societies. In the movie, Hassan used a mixture of Arab folk tales and heritage stories to portray a love story between two men.
It stars a number of Egyptian artists such as Ahmed El-Gendy and Donia Massoud. The movie stirred huge outcry among the public and critics in Egypt, as it delves into homosexuality in Arab societies.Īccording to the official Berlin Film Festival website, the movie was written and directed by Egyptian director Mohammad Shawky Hassan through a joint Egyptian-Lebanese-German production. CAIRO - “Bashtaalak Sa'at” ('Shall I Compare You to a Summer's Day?') was screened at the 72nd Berlin Film Festival Feb.
