NYAFF 2016: Egypts Modern Pharaohs

Friday, May 13th-Sunday, May 15th
The 2016 New York African Film Festival

Sunday, May 15th, 2:00pm
Les Pharaons de L’Egypte Moderne (Egypt’s Modern Pharaohs)

Jihan El-Tahri, Egypt, France, USA, Qatar, 2014, 168 min
On January 25, 1952, downtown Cairo was burnt down: angry mobs demanded the departure of British colonial military rule and called for ‘bread, freedom and social justice’. Fifty-nine years later to the day, the same anger was displayed, the same slogan brandished – but this time against Egypt’s elected president. For six decades, Egypt’s post-colonial leaders forged a system that harnessed military and religious powers, struck a delicate balance in foreign relations and muzzled acomplacent civil society. What led the docile Egyptians to mass revolt? How were the promising ideals of the 1952 revolution hijacked? What led to the total breakdown of social justice and political freedom? Filmmaker Jihan El-Tahri has created a masterpiece trilogy of films about former Egyptian presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak, aptly titled,Egypt’s Modern Pharaohs!