Egypt sends movie back to censorship board for review
The Egyptian government's decision to close down the movie "Halawet Roh," considered by critics as racy and salacious, and send it for further censorship review has provoked a broader debate about censorship red lines.
The recent decision by Egypt’s government to pull the movie “Halawet Roh” (Beauty of Spirit) from the theaters and send it back to the censorship board for review has raised quite the controversy in the country. The substantially erotic movie, based on the Italian movie “Malena” and starring Lebanese singer and regional sex icon Haifa Wehbe, was criticized by many as being too salacious. The movie was also criticized for featuring a young child in a lead role in a manner that both exposed the child on set to inappropriately erotic and violent scenes, as well as making this child a potential bad influence for the many minors who are expected to eventually see the movie, whether ripped online or purchased through (unofficial) street vendors, despite the film’s “adults only” rating.
According to news website Sada El Balad, the child actor Karim has been unable to leave his house following attacks on him in the streets. His mother claimed that in one incident the child was spat on and called an “apostate” who had to be fixed up by his parents. While the child’s presence in the overall film was criticized, much of the controversy Karim faced was due to erroneous information that spread that he acted in a one-on-one rape scene with Wehbe.
