Each day we get closer to the end of our time in London, I feel like the amount of love I have for London increases! This weekend we caught the end of the BFI (British Film Institute)'s annual International Film Festival and enjoyed 2 films about Egyptians. My Brother the Devil is a fantastic film about 2 brothers growing up in Hackney, an East London borough near the Olympic park. Up until August of this year, I was an officer in the Embassy's Public Affairs section and I did a lot of outreach in Hackney. By first getting to know young people in Hackney and the trials and tribulations they felt, it made this film-watching experience that much more enriching. Two sons of Egyptian immigrants from the small town of Mansoura battle with issues typical to many British young people: trying to find themselves, trying to find a job, etc. Instead of spoiling the rest of the plot, all I have to say is, watch it!
The next film we saw this weekend was Winter of Discontent (in Arabic: El Shita Elli Fat), an insightful film about police torture in Mubarak's Egypt leading up to the Egyptian Revolution in January 2011. As someone who lived in Egypt prior to the Revolution (and someone who's heading to Egypt again next year for our next tour), it was heart-wrenching and powerful to watch what Mubarak's police regime did to Egyptians' basic feeling of humanity. The contrast of scenes from pre and during Revolution created a very engaging plot. Another must see, make it a point to see it.
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