Women's roles in Arab movies ought to be broadened to challenge the skills of actresses.
So said Youssra, a renowned Egyptian actress, at a seminar yesterday on the 'Women's Role in Cinema' as part of the 'First UAE Cultural Festival', who also called for change in attitudes to boost creativity.
Youssra said: "In my acting life, I've fulfilled part of my dream. Yet, I still dream of playing the role of a leading or historical Western female.
"As a teenager, I dreamt that the late Princess Diana converted to Islam after visiting Al Azhar. That's a fascinating idea for a movie. But unfortunately we can't ever see such movies being made in the Arab world because of its sensitive and controversial nature.
"That's why anyone involved in the movie industry has to take a bold stance against censorship and narrow mindedness."
Waha Al Rahib, Syrian writer, director and actress, said: "The Arabic movie industry needs stronger government support. Movie production can't survive with private financing. Each country should allocate special funds to support its film industry."
Seminar moderator, Ali Abu Chadi, an Egyptian movie critic, pointed out that the supremacy of Hollywood had created a cultural barrier to the growth of Arabian cinema.
He said: "Controversial women's issues such as discrimination, rape, violence, oppression and domestic violence couldn't be shown in the Arabic cinema.
"The industry could help solve or expose such problems to the mass media. But our society is too conservative and if such issues are depicted in movies, it could spark an argument. Cinema is a culture that shouldn't be affected by external factors."
More than 300 prominent scholars, intellectuals and artists are supporting the Festival which started on Monday at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre (DIEC). The festival, which ends on Thursday, is being organised by the Cultural and Scientific Association (CSA).
The seminar was attended by a number of prominent Arab women from the world of cinema including May Al Masri, Palestinian director; Liyana Badr, Palestinian writer and director; Yameena Bou Shweikh, Algerian director; and Nujoom Al Ghanem, UAE poet and director.
Gulf News
