Egypt's Modern Pharaohs
Fall Grant 2012 - Production Stage
Jihan El Tahri / Feature Documentary / Egypt, France, United States of America, Qatar / 2014 / 173 min / Colour and B&W / Original Language: Arabic, English
Synopsis
On January 25, 1952, downtown Cairo was burnt down: angry mobs demanded the departure of British colonial military rule and called for ‘bread, freedom and social justice’. Fifty-nine years later to the day, the same anger was displayed, the same slogan brandished – but this time against Egypt’s elected president. For six decades, Egypt’s post-colonial leaders forged a system that harnessed military and religious powers, struck a delicate balance in foreign relations and muzzled a complacent civil society. What led the docile Egyptians to mass revolt? How were the promising ideals of the 1952 revolution hijacked? What led to the total breakdown of social justice and political freedom?
Credits
- Director
- Jihan El Tahri
- Screenwriter
- Jihan El Tahri
- Producer
- Karim Boutros Ghali
About the Director
Jihan El Tahri is an award-winning film director, visual artist, and producer. She served as the General Director of the Berlin-based documentary support institution DOX BOX and has been a member of The Academy (Oscars) since 2017. She has directed more than 15 films, and her visual art exhibitions have travelled to renowned museums and several Biennials around the world. Her writings include "Les Sept Vies de Yasser Arafat" (Grasset) and "Israel and the Arabs, The 50 Years War" (Penguin). She continues to mentor in various documentary and filmmaking labs. El Tahri has served on the boards of several African film organisations, including the Federation of Pan African Cinema and The Guild of African Filmmakers in the Diaspora.
Contacts
-
Main Contact
Karim Boutros Ghali
- Company:
- IPS
- Phone:
- +33 9 5279 5870
- Email:
- karimboutrosghali@free.fr