Rudolf Arnheim

Die Film- und Medienwelt hat am Samstag nicht nur Ousmane Sembene verloren, sondern ebenfalls den grossen deutsch-amerikanischen Medientheoretiker Rudolf Arnheim, der im Alter von 102 Jahren in Michigan gestorben ist.

Wo wir gerade beim Thema waeren...

Chers internautes, nous avons besoin de votre soutien pour le très acclamé cinéaste thaïlandais Apichatpong Weerasethakul("Blissfully Yours", "Tropical Malady", "Mysterious Object At Noon"). Son film "Syndromes & A Century" ("Sang Satawat"), évoqué dans le compte-rendu du Festival de Rotterdam par Ikbal Zalila (critique tunisien membre d'Africiné) et récemment soumis au Bureau de Censure, n'a pas reçu un visa d'exploitation en Thailand même si des coupes ont été faites dans le film. Le réalisateur ne veut pas plus massacrer son film avec des coupures sans fin. C'est pour cela qu'une pétition pour un cinéma thaïlandais libre est lancé. Je vous invite à signer cette pétition (transmise par la réalisatrice espagnole Moona Martinez) qui sera adressée au gouvernement et l'Assemblée Nationale thaï : http://www.petitiononline.com/nocut/petition.html Dear Friends: You can sign a petition to help Apichatpong Weerasethakul, acclaimed Thai filmmaker ("Blissfully Yours", "Tropical Malady", "Mysterious Object At Noon"). His film "Syndromes & A Century" ("Sang Satawat"), recently submitted to the Censorship Board, was not approved for release in Thailand unless cuts are made. The Board would permit the release on the condition that four cuts were excised. As a result, the director decided to cancel commercial release of the film in Thailand and stood firm that these cuts not be made. FREE THAI CINEMA MOVEMENT PETITION Statement by Apichatpong Weerasethakul *with Bioscope, the Thai Film Foundation, Thai Film Director's Association, and Alliances.* I am saddened by what has happened to my film. However, this is not the venue to try to make SYNDROMES AND A CENTURY shown in Thai theaters. It is not my intention to use this opportunity to promote my work. But, it is time to seriously think about what is going on with our censorship laws, so that the next generation of filmmakers will not face the same problems as us, and so that the Thai audiences can truly achieve a freedom of choice. It is time we discuss whether all films, before being released, should be seen by the Buddhist council, doctors council, teachers council, labor council, the army, pet lovers group, taxi union, representatives from other foreign countries etc? Or, is it easier to turn our nation into a Fascist state so that we can live in harmony and don¹t have to waste time talking about democracy? The system of the Thai Board of Censors needs to be evaluated. Their members' relevancy and efficiency needs to be questioned, and we should decide whether the laws should be changed. I would like to ask you to reflect on the censorship practices in our country and to provide us with advice at http://www.petitiononline.com/nocut/petition.html Later on, this Petition will be submitted to the Thai government. Your support will be a great contribution to our fight for one of our most basic rights - that of freedom. I am grateful for your time and your participation. Thank you very much. Warmest Regards.

Zensur von "None but that"

Khaled El Hagars Film "None but that" ist perfiderweise von den Produzenten selbst zensiert worden, nachdem er in Aegypten auf Platz 1 der box office hits gelandet war und grosse oeffentliche Diskussionen provoziert hatte. Ich wollte in eigentlich auf dem Fespaco sehen, leider wurde das screening dort kurzfristig gecancelt, aber dem Vernehmen nach ist der Film ziemlich aussergewoehnlich. Im Folgenden ein Artikel, der das ganze ein bisschen genauer erlaeutert und ueber diverse Umwege und Mailinglisten gerade in meinem Posteingang gelandet ist. The big Arabic satellites TV in the middle east and Egypt, like (ROTANAA) and (ART), which are financed by Arab Gulf money, mainly from Saudi big financers . Recently starts to invest in Egyptian cinema which is the oldest in the middle east and Arab countries. This year marks the celebration of 100 years of Egyptian Cinema . This investments move by those big companies were very welcomed by The Egyptian cinema industry to increase the number of Egyptian films , but what the industry didn't know that this companies start to control of what should and should not be produced , and influence their ideas over Egyptian cinema and Egyptian film makers , even have their own censorship and can easily, cut, destroy or vanish any films they produced if dose not matched their way of thinking or beliefs . That's what has happened to the Egyptian musical film ( MAFESH GHER KEDA ) (NONE BUT THAT ) directed by the Egyptian/ British film maker Khaled El Hagar . This issue was the talk of the Egyptian media and press during the last four months . Last year ART ( ARABIC and RADIO TELEVISION ) , which is the biggest in the middle east , agreed to the script of the film and to finance it all , and after the film was shot and completed and was watched by the ART editors and given the green light by them to be shown at the last Cairo film festival 2006 , things was okay then . But when the film was released in Egyptian cinema 14th of March 2007 after the Egyptian censorship allowed it all without cutting any scenes of the film. Suddenly the Saudi owners of ART , felt that the film is too sexy and has nude scenes and dance numbers , and describe it as a sin film . They first tried to withdraw the film from all the cinema only after one week of its release but under the media and press pressure , they left it in few cinema . But the film reached number one at the box office in Egyptian cinema in its third week . And recently the film maker fund out that the production company have cut the two most important songs from all the prints in all the cinema without telling him , as they think they are too sexy , knowing that is against the cinema union law . As the law says , if the Egyptian censorship allowed a film , the production companies have no right to cut any scenes without going back to the director and get his or her permission . After the film was shown at this year Cannes film festival in Agoralymier section , the film was demanded by more than 15 international film festival to screen it , but the production company is refusing to do any prints in French or in English subtitle or even send any screeners to those festivals to preview it . The film maker have only one faulty copy in English subtitle not suitable for festivals screening , at the moment his is trying to ask the production company to do more copies for the festivals but he get no answer. The issue here which the Egyptian press and media is trying to highlight is how much this companies with there money and beliefs can change , control , manipulate , and censorship the oldest cinema in the middle east (Mafesh Gher Keda ) was the first but sure they will be more many films will have the same treatment in the future unless something will be done by the cinema union. (This article is translated from the internet , written by Anoer El Darshy, please kindly email around) Here is some information about the film ( MAFESH GHER KEDA ( NONE BUT THAT ! ) , Y A QUE CA ! , http://www.africine.org/?menu=film&no=3337 Mafeesh Gheer Keda ( None But That !) is a musical which follows the life of NAHED'S family . Nahed is a single mother, whose husband left her long ago for another woman to face life alone and to struggle with her three children . But Nahed has a dream : a dream to move to another level and to be rich. She pushes her youngest beautiful daughter to become a new singer and video clip star. With the help of a famous impresario ,the young daughter makes it big in the new glamorous world of music and show business . But as Nahed's dream becomes a reality and the family moves into higher society , this fame , money and property , brings jealousy in- fighting and tension between the family members . The film exposes the double standards and the current desire for instant fame and wealth in contemporary Egyptian society whatever the cost The idea is Loosely Based upon on the Ballet ( The Deadly Seven Sins ) by the German writer Bertolt Brecht . The film was described by Egyptian critiques at cairo film festival as the most unusual and unique Egyptian musical film since 40 years . cast Nabila Ebeid, Khaled Abol Nagal, Sawsan Bader, Mohmed Monier, Ahmed Azmi, Rola Mahmoud, Arwa Gouda , Ahmed Kamal Crew Director : Khaled El Hagar DOP : Mohsen Nasr , Decor : Nehad Bahgat Script Writer : Azaa Shalabi Story and Songs Writer : Kother Mostafa Music : Omar Khairat Editing : Manar Hosany Sound : Gomaa Abdel Latef Geography : Khaled El Hagar . / Atef Awad Producer - ART film in 35 mm , Arabic with French subtitle , color, 105 mints , 5 reels, 1.66 , sound DTS Khaled El Hagar was born in Suez , Egypt 1963 , gained a degree in Law from Cairo University 1987 , worked as assistant director to Youssef Chahine in three films and other national and international films in Cairo . Moved to UK since 1989 . Gained a post graduate degree in film directing and writing from The National film and TV school , Beaconsfield 1994 . Directed and wrote 6 short films including , You are My Life , Dody's Dream , A Gulf Between US , Elements Of Mine . Wrote and Direct three awards wining feature films including . Little Dreams ,( ZDF _ GERMANY ) , Room To Rent and Women's Love . Room To Rent was the first British film to be written and directed by an Egyptian film maker in UK , the film won 8 international awards and was theatrically released in UK , Europe , USA and Canada in 2001 , but was banned in Egypt and many other Arab counties . His last film women's love was number one at Egypt box office and won 9 national and international awards and was screened in 45 film festivalsKhaled won 25 international awards for his films and was called by the English press the Egyptian answer to Pedro Almodovar. khaled El Hgar's list of films and awards 1- MAFESH GHER KEDA ( aka NONE BUT THAT ! ) Feature film - ART 2- HOB EL BANAT (aka WOMEN"S LOVE) Feture Film - Egyptian film secture Cairo International Film Festival – Special Mention Seven Awards at the Egyptian Academy awards Festival Best Director - Amal Arab film festival - Spain 3- ELEMENTS OF MINE - ( Short Film - ARTE - Germany ) Moving Pictures Festival, Toronto 2004 – Best Performance 4- RED SKY AT NIGHT ( Short Film ) C4 - uk 5- ROOM TO RENT ( Feature film ) C4 - Studio Canal Best International Film (Foyle Film Festival, Ireland) Audience Award- Best Film (Turin Film Festival) Audience Award – Best Film (Berlin Digital International Film Festival) Prix Poitou Charentes (Fespaco Film Festival) Cica Award (Milano Film Festival) Prix Mevter – Titra (Festival International du Film d'Amour – Belgium) Audience Award – Best Film (Cologne Mediterranean Film Festival) Cica Award (Cartage Film Festival) 6- A GULF BETWEEN US ( Short Film ) NFTS Milano City Award (Milano Film Festival) Le Prix Tolerance (VUES D'AFRIQUES Film Festival - Montreal/Quebec) Certificate of Merit (Chicago International Film Festival) 7- LITTLE DREAMS ( Feature Film ) ZDF - MIF Samuelson City Film Award , best film award (Birmingham International Film & Television Festival) Grand Prix de la Ville d'Amiens (Amiens International Film Festival) The Sutherland Trophy (BFI Awards for Best 1st Feature) - nomination Best Music for a Film (National Egyptian Film Festival) Best Script Award (Pan African Film Festival of Burkina Faso - FESPACO) 8 - DOODY'S DREAM ( short film ) NFTS 9- YOU ARE MY LIFE ( Short Film ) Goethe Institute, Cairo / Misr International Films Best Script Award (Goethe Institute, Cairo) Given by German Jury in Berlin Alexander S Socotti Award (Oberhausen Short Film Festival, Germany)

Ousmane Sembene

Der Altmeister des afrikanischen Films, der Regisseur und Schriftsteller Ousmane Sembene ist gestern Abend im Alter von 84 Jahren gestorben. Seine Filme von La Noire de... bis zu seinem juengsten Film Moolaade zeugen von seiner unermuedlichen Energie im Kampf gegen Diskriminierung und Ungerechtigkeit, in dem er vor klaren Statements und didaktischem Gestus nie zurueckschreckte. Kunst ging dabei immer mit Politik einher, ohne dass Sembene dabei jemals das Wesentliche vergass: einen kuenstlerischen, filmischen Blick auf die Welt, die ihn umgab.