Arafa: I don’t do the best thing ever, I do the best based on the current circumstances

CAIRO – 22 November 2019: Cairo International Film Festival organised a seminar for veteran Egyptian director Sherif Arafa who received Faten Hamama award at the festival opening ceremony.

Head of CIFF Mohamed Hefzy expressed his happiness because Arafa was honoured from the festival when he is its head, at the same time he is sad that they didn’t work with each other before.

‘’ Arafa was from the people who made me love cinema’’ Hefzy added.
CIFF head recounted that this honorary was late but at the same time it came on time after Arafa’s latest movie ‘’El Mamar’’ ( The Passage).

Arafa thanked Hefzy for this honorary, expressing his appreciation for Hefzy as a writer and producer, hoping to cooperate with him in the future.

‘’ I am happy that some of my old movies were restored and is screening on the side-lines of the festival’’ Arafa said.

Arafa explained that at the beginning cinema was like a heritage from his father late great director Saad Arafa.

‘’ Me and my colleagues carry huge responsibility, because we are responsible about Egyptian art which one of the most important Egyptian soft powers, because art has great influence abroad’’ Arafa said.

To prove his words Arafa narrated the story of the Moroccan guy who met late Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser and asked him to send his greetings to late Egyptian comedian Ismail Yassin.

Acclaimed Egyptian critic Tarek el Shenawy who was moderating the seminar said that Arafa passed through a lot of stages during his work as a director. ‘’ Arafa is a cinema passionate’’ El Shenawy said.

Arafa refuted all the criticism that said he presented the journalist character in a bad way in ‘’ El Mamar’’ movie and said ‘’ What is wrong that a journalist used to write about artistically poor belly dancers than decided to correct his path and write about the war, this journalist saved the life of the soldier in the movie I can’t present journalists in a bad image because I have a good relationship with all the journalist.’’

The veteran director narrated a story about realism, saying that late renowned director Salah Abou Seif said to him that presenting a villain character who is working in a certain profession don’t mean that all those who work in the same profession are bad.
Arafa said that he can’t forget how Egyptian star Laila Elwi believed in his talent and produced one of his movies.

‘’ What I care about is to make good movies with comprehensive plot and scenes’’ Arafa said.

The veteran director praised the role great scriptwriter Waheed Hamed played in his life, pointing out that he can’t forget how he helped him.

‘’ The movies we make have a great influence on society, when we made ‘’ El Gezeira’’ part 2 ( The Island) this was reflect Egypt’s circumstances after the revolution but now I can’t gurantee that we will make part 3 in the near future’’ Arafa said.

Arafa pointed out that it is a great honour to receive an award that carry the name of the great Faten Hamama.

‘’ I received a phone call from the late great actress Faten Hamama where she praised my movie ‘’Ya Mahlabya Ya’’ that was participating in Cairo International Film Festival at that time and she was one of the jury members. She said it is a good movie but it won’t win any award because the rest of the jury members can’t understand the comic scenes in the movie, this call meant a lot to me.’’

Arafa recounted that the most important thing in any actor or actress is his/her talent

‘’I am a realistic director I don’t do the best thing ever, I do the best based on the current circumstances’’ Arafa admitted.

‘’Sherif Arafa is my lifetime and school friend ,the award he received is the minimum he deserves’’ Egyptian star Sherif Mounir said.

‘’Honesty and commitment are the main characteristics of Sherif Arafa’’ recounted famed Egyptian director Amr Arafa describing his brother.

Hearthrob star Laila Elwi said that Sherif Arafa is the most important musical director in Egypt.

‘’ Sherif Arafa is a filmmaker who is capable of making all movies genres’’ Elwi added.

At the end of the seminar Arafa said describing his relationship with the late great Ahmed Zaki ‘’He was an actor with a 100% talent.’’

At CIFF opening ceremony Arafa expressed his happiness with the Faten Hamama award he received , revealing that how the attendees welcomed him was the best thing that happened to him.

''I am not used to stand in front of the camera I am used to stand behind camera'' Arafa said,

The renowned Egyptian director thanked his father the late great director Saad Arafa who taught me a lot.

''Waheed Hamed for me was like the light that came out of darkness'' Arafa added in his speech.

Arafa thanked as well the great star Adel emam who strongly believed in his talent.

'' I have to thank a great woman who supported me a lot, my wife I love my daughters and son and keen to leave to them a legacy to be proud of'' Arafa recounted.

At the end of his speech Arafa wished to continue making movies till the end of his life.