Film Association Tackles Stereotypes

By: Ayman El Attar

Edited by: Salma Abouelwaf

Photographer: Vereena Bishoy

The new Film Association (FA) kicked off this semester with a series of film screenings to raise awareness about the Arab film
industry and break the barrier between the art major and the AUC community.

The FA says it challenges social stereotypes about film students, and offers more in-depth insights about the major. According to Rawan El-Ghonimi, the association’s president, there is a lack of knowledge about film students and the film industry as a whole in Egyptian society.

“I thought there was a kind of gap between the university and films that were not mainstream, so I felt we needed the film association. I felt film students were neglected. No one knows their problems because they are not as many as other majors, so their concerns are never heard,” El-Ghonimi said.

By acting as a social hub on campus the association aims to connect the AUC community to the art of film-making.
Their main focus is to showcase Arab and Egyptian films to create a connection between the local art scene and our young generations.

“They[film students] study things that apply to the American film industry, while we do not really study about the film industry in Egypt which is entirely different. We hope to break this barrier between film students and the cinema industry in Egypt,” El Ghonimi said.

The association hosts events which are open to the AUC community. One of their popular events is Aadet Qahwa (The Cafe) – a cultural salon where authors, artists, and experts gather and talk about different topics like art, history, sciences, and the humanities.

The FA also holds weekly screenings of commercial and festival films which spark debate and discussion. Some of these films included ‘Arq El Balah (Date Wine), an Egyptian movie produced in 1998. The film takes place in a small village in Upper Egypt, where people live in extreme poverty. The movie helped spark a debate about economic privilege, social injustice, and social class.

FA also offers Spotlight, a seminar hosting videographers, directors and other film industry experts who share their hands-on experiences and behind-the-scenes stories. Their latest guest was Ahmed Abdullah, an Egyptian film director, editor and screenwriter.

The association has more events on its calendar. They are working on providing a whole new scope on cinema and its importance to society and the art scene.
“We are trying to have a diverse and broad plan for this semester and the next,” said Mark Ayman, FA project head.