Art will always prevail!

This is the conclusion of the press release published by the Cairo Film International Film Festival (CIFF) Following the horrible attack that took place today in Egypt.

And that had been The decision of the Directorate of Carthage Cinematographic Days (JCC) when it had been in the same situation.

On November 24, 2015, two years ago, day to the day, a horrible attack had also taken place in downtown Tunis and more specifically at Avenue Med V, killing 12 people and 20 injured among the members of the presidential guard.

It has been 4 days since the 26th edition of Carthage’s cinematographic days had started. Tunisia received guests around the world on this occasion, the party was in the air.

This attack had been a shock for all Tunisians.

But the JCC organizing committee had decided that the festival would not be interrupted. Brahim Letaief announced it a few hours after the loose attack. Life had to triumph over death.

That evening, braving the fire, Egyptian artists (the actors Hana Shiha, Amr Youssef, Khaled Abol NagaNagla Badr, Salwa Khattab, director Karim Hanafy, film critic Ahmed Shawky) and the Syrian actress Kinda Allouch, guests of the JCC, had released in Avenue Habib Bourguiba to deliver a message of solidarity with the Tunisian people and the organizers of the JCC and to announce their decision to stay until the end of the festival.

None of the guests of the festival had interrupted his stay and had left Tunisia. Apart from Roger Waters, all the other planned guests had continued to arrive in Tunisia.

Two years ago, art had triumphed. Life had triumphed.

Today, in Sinai in Egypt, a bloody attack. People who prayed in a mosque were brutally murdered. 235 words and more than 120 injured.

Who can kill people who pray? In the name of what? In the name of what faith or what ideology?

Horror. The shock. Sadness. Pain.

And as in Tunisia two years ago, the Cairo International Film Festival has started.

Although the Egyptian state has declared three days of national mourning, as in Tunisia two years ago, the festival management decided to continue its activities. Terrorists will not have the last word. Art must always prevail. Life must always continue.

To this end, a press release has just been published:

“Magda Wassef, the president of Ciff and Youssra, the honorary president, denounced Arish’s attack in the north of Sinai which took place this Friday afternoon November 24.

The CIFF confirms that the festival programs will continue And will remain unchanged and will not be affected by terrorist attacks.

As an international festival, the comfort and security of our customers are one of our main concerns, and all the sites are entirely secure and under the supervision of the Egyptian security forces, as well as a private security company.

Access to our events at the Cairo Opera, and different places, is authorized only to a selected list of guests.

Art will always prevail! »»

This decision by CIFF management was difficult to make. Some were also against, but it was decided that annulting the festival would amount to submitting to terrorists and fear. However, in no case should these murderers reach their goal. Life continues. Life triumphs and art will always prevail.

The Egyptian journalist Mostafa Elkilany also expressed it very well by a status on his Facebook account: “ We will watch movies, we will make cinema and art. We will continue and resist. Terrorism will not scare us. Their weapons will not stop us. Their bullets are in our bodies, but our minds and our hearts will be walls that will stop them ”.