Culture
Egyptians outraged over movie depicting gay couple
An Egyptian-German-Lebanese-produced movie recently screened at the 72nd Berlin Film Festival has sparked outcry in Egypt for depicting homosexuality.
CAIRO — “Bashtaalak Sa'at” ("Shall I Compare You to a Summer's Day?") was screened at the 72nd Berlin Film Festival Feb. 11-20.
The movie stirred huge outcry among the public and critics in Egypt, as it delves into homosexuality in Arab societies.
According to the official Berlin Film Festival website, the movie was written and directed by Egyptian director Mohammad Shawky Hassan through a joint Egyptian-Lebanese-German production. It stars a number of Egyptian artists such as Ahmed El-Gendy and Donia Massoud.
In the movie, Hassan used a mixture of Arab folk tales and heritage stories to portray a love story between two men.
