Khaberni - The announcement of the screening of the film "El Sett", starring the star Mona Zaki, for the first time on a global level during the International Film Festival in Marrakech has stirred a wave of controversy among filmmakers and Egyptian activists.
A number of social media followers wondered why Marrakech was specifically chosen, considering that presenting the work outside Egypt raises question marks about the producers' vision and prompts some to question the artistic and promotional standards behind this step.
Some critics have deemed this decision inappropriate, suggesting that the Cairo International Film Festival would have been a more suitable venue to launch a work that revisits the biography of the Egyptian and Arab singing icon, Umm Kulthum.
A wave of inquiries about the reasons for choosing Morocco to present the film for the first time spread across social media platforms, especially since the project is substantial and addresses the character of Umm Kulthum in a newly dramatic way.
Some described the move as "surprising and unexpected", while others saw it as giving the film a chance for broader international exposure.
No official statement has been issued by the production team explaining the reasons for choosing Marrakech, but Moroccan media reported that a part of the film, lasting 18 minutes, had previously been shown in a former session of the Atlas Workshops and had received production support that contributed to its completion.
The film "El Sett" features a cast of prominent Egyptian cinema stars, including Mona Zaki, Amr Saad, Nelly Karim, Amina Khalil, and Karim Abdel Aziz, and is written by Ahmed Murad and directed by Marwan Hamed.
