Egyptian director Samir Sabri has made the decision to screen his film “Al Shaqa” (The Apartment) this summer starring Egyptian singer Ruby alongside three new female actresses. The film has faced many problems since its beginning stages due to the fact that the Egyptian Censorship committee had refused to allow it to pass their standards.
According to the Qatar based daily, Al Raya, one of the main problems that the committee had objected against was the fact the film contained too much nudity and its story is inappropriate for Arab audiences. The film tells the story of three young girls who live together in an apartment who are forced to basically act as prostitutes for their employers in order to keep their jobs.
This basic fact is what the committee strongly disagreed against forcing the scenarist to make major alterations to the script to make it some what decent. Some of the changes included making Ruby’s character (Dunia) appear as one that represents the essence of a woman who chose her heart over materialistic positions.
The director also made it a point to make eliminate foul language used in the film and lessened the amount of sexuality in the scenes. The committee initially accepted the revised script for the film.
Ruby, who never ceases to surprise her audience, has once more gotten herself into more trouble, but this time at Cairo University, where she is resuming her college degree in law. Ruby had created chaos on university premises for wearing a very revealing and unsuitable outfit, causing male students to follow her around and others protest against her appearance. Security guards at the university had to escort Ruby from the main entrance and gave her a harsh verbal warning stressing that such outfits are not to be worn at university and that she should respect the institution. Ruby had previously received a warning from the dean of her college for wearing cloths that are considered too hot and provocative for a university student.
Ruby, who has managed to achieve tremendous popularity among the young generation with only two songs, has revealed that her life’s dream is finding Mr. Right. Ruby stressed that its her quest to find a man who loves her to the point of insanity and makes her everything in his life. Ruby added that the characteristics of her Mr. Right is that he has all the qualities of a real man has which are strength, sensitivity and ambition. Ruby’s career began with her making television commercials and then step by step she managed to achieve popularity and enter the competition in the music industry.
Recently, the Egyptian Music Association has filed a complaint against the Ruby for singing without obtaining a permit and not being a part of the association, which every singer must be a member of. The Association also decided to file a second lawsuit against the production company that produced Ruby’s songs and filmed them in the form of a video clip, which is considered an illegal act according to the Association’s article 8 of their laws and regulations for 2003.
The officials of the association also discussed the improper and shameful appearance of Ruby in both of her music videos, which were directed by Sharif Sabri. In the first video Ruby appears in a belly dancer’s costume dancing in the streets, and in the second she is wearing a very indecent red dress and a training suit, which reveals most of her body. In the second clip Ruby is basically seductively moving her body without dancing just highlighting her most attractive features. –Albawaba.com
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
