(New York Times) Michael Slackman - In Egypt's box office hit, "The Embassy Is in the Building," director Amro Arafa uses comedy to try to get Egyptian audiences to consider that peace with Israel is in Egypt's own interest. "We have signed peace with this country," a state security agent says during a pivotal scene in the movie. "This is our country's policy, and it is for our interest. Do you want to be against the country's interests?" This is not just a movie aiming to make people laugh, but an effort to use the Egyptian cinema to make people at least entertain the notion that peace with Israel is good for Egypt, even while Israel may itself remain an object of hate. Throughout the film, there is strong anti-Israeli language. And it ends with the death of a cute, heroic Palestinian boy at the hands of Israelis and an angry protest outside the Israeli Embassy in Egypt.
2005-09-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive