By Mohammed Al Baali
Albawaba.com - Cairo
Raafat Al Mihi is one of the most important Egyptian directors whose films have enriched the Egyptian cinema. With his tendency towards experimental cinema, he has contributed to changing the artistic taste among the cinema art innovators as well as the audience.
Al Mihi has recently published a novel that has aroused inquiries whether he had used it as a tool to change his way of expressing art from the photo to the word but he viewed it as a mere attempt.
“You do not have to devote your full time for writing in order to write a novel. You may be a musician and yet you can write, as all of these are eventually tools for art expression. There is nothing that prevents a person from using all these tools. I have recently got the opportunity to write prompted by my longstanding desire,” Al Mihi told Albawaba.com, adding that “his continuity in writing or film direction is unknown.”
Mihi will wrap up the shooting of his latest film Shurum Burum next month but the film screening depends, according to the director, on its “luck”. He believes that monopoly at the screening venues in Egypt, put obstacles in the path of films with new experience.
Regarding his opinion about the Arab Company for Arts in Egypt, Mihi said, “I am not against the company despite the fact that my stance towards it is still unknown by some people. I am delighted with the promises made by the company but as in all industries we need a law to control monopoly. The company is also required to review its administrative structure.”
Al Mihi believes that some of his films were judged unfairly including Mit Fil (One Hundred Elephants) and Ashan Rabena Yhibbak (I Love You For God’s Sake). The director thinks that “the critics have not given them enough attention and the audience did not go to see them in the anticipated numbers.”
The leading experimental cinema director said, “When I direct any film, I do not say whether it is experimental or not. I work on a film as I see it and so the audience sees it as I direct it. I also work independently without any support from the government, which the artist should receive,”
Mihi considers that there is no experimental cinema in Egypt except for few films, which he described as experimental adventures including Samak, Laban, Tamer Hindi (Fish, Yogurt and Tamarind) and Kalil Minal Hubb Kathir Minal U’nf (Little Love, Plenty of Violence). “We in Egypt need consolidating films and then we can turn to experimental movies, added Mihi.”
Concerning the Egyptian cinema new generation, the prominent director thinks that “most available films are not consolidated except for one or two such as Ashab Walla Business (Friends or Business) which he enjoyed, and Al Sellam Wal Thua’ban (Ladder and Snake) as both have artistic ideas and good form. But there are some films, which after screening, I can say that it is anything but not cinema.”
“In general, this generation should be given his opportunity so that they won’t be oppressed,” added Mihi.
