Egyptian cinema tries to find its place
Post-revolution cinema in Egypt has found it must walk a fine line and ensure that it is criticizing the right people, as "The Island 2" currently in cinemas does its best to.
CAIRO — After seeing the widely acclaimed film "El Gezira 2" ("The Island 2") in the Egyptian cinema, one might wonder how political events in Egypt affect art and how art affects public opinion politically. In this case, "The Island 2" bore certain political messages regarding the period between the January 25 and June 30 revolutions.
The first part of the film, "El Gezira," which was released in 2007, tells the story of Mansour al-Hafni, one of the biggest drug and arms dealers in Upper Egypt who rules the village of Gezira in the 1970s. Hafni makes a deal with the security apparatus so that it will allow him to eliminate his competitors, as long as he helps it take down extremist terrorists. As the terrorist threat is eliminated, Hafni's relationship with the security apparatus becomes shaky and they fight a bloody battle for security forces to arrest him and end his rule over Gezira.
