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 Egyptian and French national who began her career as a journalist. Between 1984 and 1990, she worked as a news agency correspondent and TV researcher. In 1990, she began directing and producing documentaries. Since then, El Tahri has directed more than a dozen films, including the Emmy-nominated ‘The House of Saud’ (2005); ‘The Price of Aid’ (2004), which won the European Media prize; and ‘Cuba: An African Odyssey’ (2008), which won awards in France, Canada, Angola and Venezuela. Her most recent documentary is ‘Behind the Rainbow’ (2008), about the ANC’s transition from liberation army to governing party in South Africa.
Contacts
-
Main Contact
Karim Boutros Ghali
- Company:
- IPS
- Phone:
- +33 9 5279 5870
- Email:
- karimboutrosghali@free.fr