6 Egyptian movies participate in Arab Cinema Week

CAIRO – 20 November 2017: Six Egyptian movies are participating in the Arab Cinema Week in New York which kicked off on November 17 and set to run until November 23.

The Egyptian movies are "Sheikh Jackson," "A Man Wanted," "Photocopy" "Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim," "Mawlana" and "A Present from the Past."

"Sheikh Jackson" stars Ahmed al-Fishawy and revolves around an aspiring Imam’s reaction to the death of The King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The central character loves Jackson’s music, and imitates the pop star’s performances. His strong relationship with Salafism reflects the contradictions in his life. The film is directed by Amr Salama.

"Photocopy" narrates in a smooth manner the story of an old man, over 60 years old, who decided to open a shop for photocopying after retirement. He starts to re-discover the life that he is living, his love for his neighbor and the people around him.

The Egyptian journalist and "Photocopy’s" scriptwriter, Haitham Dabbour, previously stated in an interview with Egypt Today that he chose to present a love story between an old man and woman because these kinds of love stories “have not been well presented in the Egyptian cinema.”

“Photocopy” won El-Gouna Golden Star Award for Best Arabic Feature Narrative Film. The movie stars Mahmoud Hemeida, Sherine Reda, and is directed by Tamer Ashry.

"Mawlana" (The Preacher) is a movie adapted from a novel by renowned journalist Ibrahim Eissa. The story revolves around an influential religious preacher turned TV celebrity whose credibility is shaken when he initiates closer ties to politicians and security agencies.

The movie stars Amr Saad and Dorra Zarrouk. "Mawlana" is directed by Magdy Ahmed Aly.

"Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim" revolves around the main character, Ali, who loves a goat and talks to it. Many people criticize him for this behavior, until his mother forces him to go to a psychological and spiritual healer, where he meets Ibrahim.

Ibrahim suffers from depression and listens to sounds from another world, yet he is incapable of understanding what those messages mean.

Together, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and friendship across Egypt.

"A Man Wanted" is about a career-oriented woman in her late thirties who wants to have a child. She searches for a man to marry only to achieve this purpose. The movie stars Nelly Karim and Mohamed Mamdouh and is directed by Mohamed Ali.

"A Present from the Past" revolves around a filmmaking professor named Mokhtar who receives two plane tickets to Rome on his 75th birthday from his daughter Kawthar who is also a filmmaker. Mokhtar along with Kawthar set on a trip to Rome in search for his long lost love, Patrizia.