The first Egyptian film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 17 years has triggered controversy back home. In a statement broadcast on state television, the film and its director Mohamed Diab were heavily criticized for allegedly misrepresenting the political opinions of Egyptians.
The film had received positive reviews at the Cannes festival. It has however not been released yet in Egypt.
Ironically, it was heavily criticized by state owned media for being too politically aggressive. But Diab, the producer, says it wasn’t the government which attacked the film, and the ones who criticized didn’t even see the film.
Diab is denying any links to a real life incident that took place in 2014. Several brotherhood prisoners, were killed by police while being transported to prison in a police vehicle. The officers said they were defending themselves from the prisoners who tried to break out. All policemen were acquitted. The producer explains the movie covers the period when Mohamed Morsy and the brotherhood were in power in 2013, not now.
