Egyptian film industry in decline

Obeid stresses unity for the sake of national interest Cairo - Al Sayed Khalaf Allah Egyptian actress Nabila Obeid has told Arabstoday that she fears for the future of the Egyptian film industry, due to the social and political uncertainty in the country. The veteran performer has claimed that films producers have stopped making films because of the political conflict which has undermined the value of entertainment among the Egyptian people. Obeid urged the various political factions to respect democracy and learn to accept differences in opinion, instead of allowing those differences to divide the society and create conflict. The actress argued that classifying the Egyptian population into various groups such as Muslim Brotherhood, Salafists and Copts moves people away from their national identity. The Egyptian showbiz industry is enduring a state of stagnation, Obeid explained, adding that cinemas and theatres have failed in tough economic conditions due to the absence of producers and big stars. The actress called on Egypt's state institutions, including the Ministry of Culture to take control and revive Egyptian cinema to make it a force in the Arab world once again.