Mark Cousins, at honoring seminar in Ismailia Festival: “I fell in love with Umm Kulthum, Shaheen and Shadi”
As part of the activities of its 24th edition, which will last until March 20, Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts held a seminar honoring the Irish director Mark Cousins, followed by a master class for him.
Mark Cousins said that Cinema and art are not a luxury; Umm Kulthum’s voice liberates us from the burdens of life; and the films of Youssef Chahine and Shadi Abdel Salam are inspiring. He viewed that Hassan Fathi left his mark, and the world should learn from him.
Cousins expressed his pleasure with the beauty he sawin Egypt, specifically in the city of Ismailia, which witnesses his honor; and thanked the Festival’s president, Essam Zakaria, for that.
Cousins added, "Life will go on despite all the circumstances surrounding the world; cinema is not a luxury in our lives as some see it, and I believe that Ismailia Festival is important for Egypt and the world because it contributes to the exchange and dissemination of cultures."
“Pleasure and beauty in Egypt can be found, not only in museums and dazzling tourist shrines, but in wandering its streets; I walked 31 kilometers in the streets of Ismailia.” Cousins said “I am in love with Umm Kulthum, Shadi Abdel Salam and Youssef Shaheen because they were able to present works of art that reflect society, and masculine & feminine thoughts in an interesting way”.
Cousins also said: “I am currently working on a very important cinematic project about the history of Egyptian cinema, and of course the movie “Horizons” by Egyptian director Shadi Abdel Salam will be a major part of this project. I am also currently filming a movie about Adam and Eve, but in a different way, as the second part depicts them as human beings, without categorizing them."
Cousins concluded saying: "The world must retreat from its old ideas on labels like (the Third World). A person is a person and no one has the right to set boundaries. I hope that cinema will continue despite thehard economic, political and social situation."