Egypt police shut down screening of banned thriller
CAIRO — Egyptian police raided a tiny alternative film venue in Cairo last week to prevent the screening of a thriller critical of law enforcement that has been banned, a venue staffer said, the latest in the country’s litany of obstruction of free speech and artistic expression.
The officers prevented “The Nile Hilton Incident” from being played in a makeshift, 25-seat theatre because it was a downloaded copy that didn’t have government permission to be shown, the staff member said, speaking on condition of anonymity and requesting that the venue’s name be withheld for fear of repercussions.
The move highlights Egyptian authorities’ obsession with censorship during the country’s strongest ever crackdown on dissent, even as they host the 39th Cairo International Film Festival and attempt to recast the country as open-minded via highly scripted “international” events.
The film, by Swedish-Egyptian director Tarik Saleh, is a murder mystery set in Egypt that addresses abuse of power and police corruption. It has won several accolades abroad, including the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.