Introduction
The Egyptian film industry has gone through massive crisis for the past years after the country was torn apart with civil unrest. Even until now, the entire region is still suffering from chaos and war. Due to this condition, the film industry is also affected. But this does stop filmmakers from hoping that a brighter tomorrow is waiting for the Egyptian film industry, even as they remembered that the driver of the Egyptian film industry was another chaos in 1952. It was in the darkest days of the uprising and revolution that the film industry of the country took shape as a form of positive struggle against the regime.
In July 1952, Egyptians rose up to fight against the regime that had since reduced their dignity to mere slaves. The revolution was successful in ending the colonial powers that had long gripped the nation; the revolution ended the constitutional monarchy form of government that had ruled the country for quite a long time. The purpose of the revolution was to promote democracy and equal social citizenship wherein the people will be the one choosing its leader. In this struggle, Egypt demanded for advancement and progress in education, social and cultural dimension, economy, and empowerment of the people through employment. But the most significant part of this struggle was the role played by film. The Egyptian film industry was born out of a struggle, of the need to be heard, of the desire to make a voice of freedom.
Prior to the facelift of the Egyptian film industry in 1952, the industry’s past could be traced to the foundation of the Misr Studios in 1935. It was in 1935 that Egypt could claim a real film industry that had the capability to produce films of worth. The progress of the film industry, since then, had grown to a massive one until 1945 (Bradley, et al., 2006). This post-revolution prelude allowed the Egyptian film industry to take its full turn and became a legitimate film industry.
The post-revolution glories and achievements were then used to usher the era of the Egyptian film in 1952. Colonel Nasser, one of the leaders of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, was a moviegoer. During the revolution, Nasser was interested in using film as a medium of bringing the message to the people. He successfully politicized the film industry. When he seized the power as the revolution successfully toppled the monarchy, Nasser’s enthusiasm and interest in films ushered the film industry to new heights. In fact, the era would eventually be tagged as the golden era of the Egyptian film industry.
Egyptian Film Industry – A State Affair
According to Amar (2006, p. 179), “with the Free Officers coup in 1952 that ended the monarchy, established the republic, and sought to revolutionize Egyptian culture, the state began to support the theater sector along with the movie industry.” The new government created the Ministry on Culture that was tasked to oversee the entire artistic community including the film industry. The Ministry was provided with funds and finances that would help small film outfit and studios to produce films of artistic value. Prior to the revolution, there were several small studios such as the Misr Studios that were producing films, but they were often taken hostage by their lack of financial support leading to quality problems of films. With the new government in power, the film industry saw an overwhelming flow of financial support to produce films.
However, the support of the government in producing films did not come as a free offer. Instead, in exchange for the financial support that the new government poured in into the film industry, the government also tried to dictate what films were to be produced, what subjects were to be taken, and what elements of films were to be shown (Amar, 2006). Just like all other film industries that enjoyed the support of the government, the Egyptian film industry had to surrender to the will of the government for it to enjoy the benefits of financial support.
One of the most important contributions of the government to the Egyptian film industry was the establishment and development of theaters and cinemas across the country. Prior to the revolution, films were just shown in Cairo because of the limited number of available theaters and cinemas in other cities. With the government’s backing, theaters and cinemas were established in various key cities, thus expanding the reach of the cinemas. This also allowed filmmakers to expand their opportunity of gaining more revenue from their films.
At this stage of development, the film industry became a commercial one. Filmmakers already had the opportunity to earn from their films; they used their revenues to produce new films. In fact, due to the commercialization of the industry, investors poured in money into the industry. While the government continued its financial support to the film industry, investments from private individuals and companies allowed the film industry to grow and produce more films annually.
Quality in Films
With the aid of government support, filmmakers were able to acquire state-of-the-art equipment they could used to shoot film. This allowed Egyptian filmmakers to be at par with Western filmmakers, especially those in the Hollywood. According to Cody (2007), the government’s principle is that drama or film is a powerful tool to create a cultural propaganda. The performance of the film industry in the pre-revolution period was not a stellar one and this could be attributed to the lack of financial support. To be able to change the value of film industry, there was a need to acquire equipment and technologies that would set the tone of filmmaking, thus improving the impact of drama as a cultural propaganda.
With the openness to trade, international films were brought to Egypt. This created an atmosphere of competition. Egyptian filmmakers had to make quality films to compete with international films that were setting the standard of quality. This meant that Egyptian filmmakers had to know what international filmmakers knew. The government allowed Egyptian filmmakers to study abroad and learn the way international filmmakers shoot and produce their films. As a result, Egyptian films were revolutionized and became more internationally competitive.
Together with the improved equipment and technologies used in filmmaking, foreign education also motivated filmmakers to think beyond the drawing room. Instead of just filming in bedrooms or in studio sets, filmmakers started to shoot films in various surroundings. This provided a new taste and landscape to Egyptian films. Filmmakers started to use the streets of Cairo, the massive infrastructure of Suez Canal, and even the desserts of Sinai for their films’ backgrounds. This was one of the achievements of the golden era of Egyptian films –creativity.
The good thing about this process of internationalization and commercialization, together with the support of the government, was that it allowed filmmakers to explore options everytime they shot a film. Instead of being contented with what the studio or the drawing room could offer, filmmakers looked for backgrounds and scenarios that would add a new color to their film. This desire to advance and improve on their craft also allowed the film industry to reach its apex of achievement, which would culminate in the creation of the Cairo International Film Festival.
Film’s Democracy and Freedom
The Egyptian film industry took a momentous turn after the monarchy and the colonial powers were dashed out of the country because it led Nasser to power. With Nasser’s interest in filmmaking, the film industry was reorganized and had its shape; Nasser believed in the importance of arts in crafting the full human potential (Ginsberg & Lippard, 2010). With this principle, Nasser allowed banned topics and subjects to be tackled by the film industry. However, the nationalization of the film industry also led to the banning of several films which could cross the line of the state’s philosophy. During nationalization of the film industry, the state created state-owned studios and film outfits. This provided the government a leverage of power over the film industry.
If taken in a positive context, Nasser’s government’s philosophy was a good one. It allowed the government to control the media to avoid demoralization of the new government. In fact, the government aimed to control the exposure of Western culture and thinking to the society as a way to avoid demoralization and to ensure the unity among Arab nations, which was based on the socialist ideology of Nasser. In theory, the government restricted films that explore the desire of the Western colonial powers to control Egypt again. To counter this, the government allowed films that featured the power of the masses and peasants. The philosophy of the film industry turned a bitter face toward the power of the elite which was popular during the pre-revolution film industry.
One of the issues or subjects restricted in the Egyptian film industry was Zionism. Zionism was considered a big no to the Egyptian society – and even today, Zionism still does not meet the approval of the Arab society. For instance, the films The Emigrant and The Sparrow, both films of popular director Chahine, were banned by the Islamic Research Council because it favored Zionist principles. In The Emigrant, Joseph was shown as the patriarch of the Jewish nation who journeyed to Egypt and became an important person in the old Egypt. On the other hand, The Sparrow discussed the Six-Day War; the film was shot in Lebanon to avoid Egypt’s repressive regulations on Zionist subjects. It is important to note that the main principle of restriction against Zionist subjects is the religious differences between these two nations or between Arabs and Jews.
As a result of the restrictive and repressive attitude of the government toward the film industry, filmmakers were forced to explore romance and melodrama subjects. The society was already accustomed to seeing love stories and melodramas in the big screen. They were not used to films that tried to generate questions and provoke thinking. Due to this, the film industry was just for the sake for entertainment and past time. But with revolutionary filmmakers and dissenters such as Chahine, the film industry is starting to take a different shape. Audiences are now encouraged to think about the film, to discuss the subject of the film.
While the nationalization of the film industry during the regime of Nasser after the revolution of 1952 provided the financial boast the industry needed to gain traction, the privatization of the industry in 1971 under President Sadat provided a chance for the film industry to survive and become self-determined. De-nationalization of the film industry saw the surge of artistic and creative films that already tackled delicate issues of the society. The Egyptian film industry is already at par with global counterparts, and to show that achievement, the Cairo International Film Festival was established.
Impact of the 1952 Revolution
The establishment of the Cairo International Film Festival was the apex of the Egyptian film industry’s achievement. It was a testament to the struggles of filmmakers during the pre-revolution and post-revolution eras. This allowed foreign filmmakers to collaborate with local filmmakers, thus creating growth to the industry. Yet, even with the achievements of the Egyptian film industry today, the marks of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 could still be traced.
Mainly, the Egyptian film industry enjoyed unprecedented growth with the financial support of the state government. This is an undeniable achievement of the Nasser government. While there were questions on the behavior of the government in restricting some topics and subjects, it would be beyond question that the government allowed the film industry to survive the chaotic period of transitions. In a sense, the government gave the film industry its needed resources to become an independent one later. The establishment of theaters and cinemas across the country made the Egyptian film industry a national industry and not just of Cairo. Without the infrastructure built by Nasser’s government, it would be impossible for filmmakers to sell their films to the audience, thus discounting the ability of filmmakers to continue producing films due to lack of revenue.
Secondly, the single vital part of the film industry’s achievement during the Nasser government after the revolution of 1952 is the change of perspective. While the pre-revolution period was about the elite society and how they ruled the country, the post-revolution film industry was about the empowerment of the masses. Gone are the days where the elite society was hailed as the savior and leader of the country. In a sense, films of post-revolution were more “realist” compared to pre-revolution films which can be classified as reductionist. In a scale of human potential as noted by Nasser (Ginsberg & Lippard, 2010), films of post-revolution period touched the real situation of the society, and it did not try to hide the society behind the colorful world of the elite.
Third, as the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 ushered women into the society’s political echelon, the film industry was also changed. According to Badran (1996), “Egyptian women's final thrust for their political rights bridged the end of the constitutional monarchy and the beginning of the new revolutionary regime.” Women got the opportunity in engage in political roles. This was an empowerment of women to take part in the film industry. Women started to play in films and they stood side by side with men or with actors. This movement of women’s empowerment was not just a national scale, but it was also motivated by global directions. As international films were shown in Egypt, local women had the opportunity to understand the meaning of women’s rights and their place in the society.
Fourth, the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 became the driver for the creativity of Egyptian filmmakers to flourish. During this period, Egyptian filmmakers were more adventurous in trying different settings and backgrounds for their films. This was an important achievement because it was anchored on the ideals of realistic filming, which is still relevant in today’s filmmaking industry.
Conclusion
The Egyptian film industry had a long history of struggle and flexibility. While the film industry had its formal launch during the pre-revolution period, it was the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 that really changed the way the film industry moved. The revolution did not just created a new government, but it created a government with an eye for culture and arts. This allowed the film industry to enjoy relative support and grow its arms in searching for partners and collaborators. With enough capability, education and skills, the film industry was able to withstand the challenge of the regime.
Since then, the Egyptian film industry has reinvented itself to become a global leader in the film industry. The Cairo International Film Festival is a standing monument to the way the Egyptian film industry was changed and shaped. The Egyptian Revolution of 1952 provided a ground for the film industry to grow. With the changing political landscape of Egypt, the film industry will still face challenges, but with the rigors and vigor of filmmakers, the industry will thrive and will still be flexible in dealing with changes.
References:
Amar, P. (2006). Cairo Cosmopolitan: Politics, Culture, And Urban Space In The New Globalized
Middle East. American Univ in Cairo Press.
Badran, M. (1996).Feminists, Islam, and Nation: Gender and the Making of Modern Egypt. Princeton
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Badley, L., et.al. (2006). Traditions in World Cinema. Rutgers University Press.
Cody, G. (2007). Volume 1 of The Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama, The Columbia
Encyclopedia of Modern Drama. Columbia University Press.
Ginsberg, T. & Lippard, C. (2010). Historical Dictionary of Middle Eastern Cinema. Scarecrow Press.
