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Faded Star Forced into Propaganda Role
21 May
Summary
- Washed-up actor blackmailed into starring in state propaganda film.
- Film satirizes corruption in post-Mubarak Egypt.
- Regime uses threats against actor's son for compliance.
Tarik Saleh's latest film, the third in his Cairo trilogy, is a dark comedy exploring the Egyptian film industry's entanglement with political propaganda. The movie centers on George Fahmy, a once-prominent actor now struggling with his career and personal life, who is pressured by regime officials to star in a biopic of the current president. This sinister project involves news footage of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and is supervised by a secret police chief.
Fahmy, who is notionally a Coptic Christian, finds himself under immense duress, with veiled threats made against his estranged son, Ramy. His attempts to reconnect with Ramy by offering extravagant gifts are met with indifference, highlighting the personal cost of his compromised integrity. The film also touches on absurdities within the industry, such as Fahmy's relationship with a younger actress and bizarre pronouncements from officials about historical figures.
Described as rackety, despairing, and funny, the film draws comparisons to works by Billy Wilder and István Szabó. It effectively uses satire to critique the corrupt political landscape and the way artistic endeavors can be co-opted for state purposes. The narrative depicts a chilling descent as the protagonist is drawn deeper into the regime's machinations.
