Egypt's Coptic cinema on brink of extinction
The Coptic film industry in Egypt, where production has dwindled to nearly nothing, is trying to protect what little revenue remains by targeting illegal downloads.
CAIRO — Many Copts believe their own cinema is one of the most important means of preserving Coptic heritage and the stories of saints and symbols of the church. Nevertheless, numerous crises and difficulties have led to the collapse of the Christian religious film industry.
Coptic cinema remained confined within the walls of the church and on Christian channels, and the films are not shown in theaters or on nonreligious networks.
Some Egyptian actors made their debuts in Christian religious film, such as Hani Ramzi, who starred in the “Return of the Prodigal Son,” depicting Saint Mina. In the late 1990s, his acting career transitioned to nonreligious drama.
Likewise, Egyptian actor Maged el-Kedwany starred in a movie depicting Anba Endrawos (Saint Andrew) in the late 1980s before participating in a great number of nonreligious films in the mid-1990s.
