A documentary directed by Keren Ben-Rafael, an Israeli woman who studied at a film school in Paris, has sparked a political-cultural storm and caused the cancellation of a film festival in Cairo.
“Almost Normal” was slated to be screened in this week’s Rencontres de l’Image festival organized by the French Embassy’s cultural center in Cairo. Two Egyptians slated to be festival judges quit when they found out that one of the films was made by an Israeli. In response, the French cultural center in Cairo decided to remove the film, but once French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner was informed, he ordered the film back into the lineup.
When the Egyptians refused, Kouchner said, “As this film appears to be causing trouble, there is no point in holding the festival in Cairo,” and he canceled the event. — ynetnews.com