The makers of the Egyptian film “Sharq 12” were not happy to be nominated to participate in the activities of the Cannes International Film Festival, in its next edition, because they have difficulty traveling from Egypt to France on due to problems with entry visa.
The director of the film, Hala Al-Qusi, revealed these details through a post she wrote on Facebook, explaining that she had suffered for a whole week to complete the procedures for the film’s crew to travel to France to to attend the first screening of her film at the Cannes Film Festival, so that they could see the result of their efforts being implemented over eight years. However, after booking their rooms in a hotel in France and booking airline tickets, she discovered that there were problems with entry visas.
Al-Qusi also explained that she had contacted several parties over the past few days to be able to resolve this crisis, but these efforts and efforts failed, and so she asked for help through her account in the hope that someone would be able to help her. solve this crisis.
She pointed out that the film represents the return of Egypt to participate in the Mid-Month Directors Competition, after an absence of 33 years It is also evidence of the first major role of the artist Ahmed Kamal after a long artistic career full of important characters he engaged, and it also witnesses the return of the talented artist Manha Al-Batrawi, who was absent from the audience for 36 years.
The film “Sharq 12” belongs to the genre of black comedy, as it takes place within a satirical framework in a closed world outside of time, in which the young musician Abdo to rebel against Shawqi the acrobat, who runs the place with his mixture of absurdity and violence, and the majesty of the storyteller (Mahna Al-Batrawi), who comforts people with stories. in another world.
The film features Manah Al-Batrawi, Ahmed Kamal, Omar Raziq, Fayza Shamah, Osama Abu Al-Atta, Bassem Wadih, screenplay and dialogue by Hala Al-Qusi, and photos by Abdel Salam Moussa.
