Movies
Limby in trouble
(cairolive.com, August 16, 2002) The controversy over a "satirical" remake of an Umm Kulthoum song in this summer's hit film Al-Limby began with an interpellation in the People's Assembly by Presidential Chief of Staff Zakaria Azmy to Culture Minister Farouk Hosny asking why Egyptian heritage wasn't being protected.
The story was featured on the back page of Al-Ahram -- and center-pieced on zahma.com. We sensed this story was only going to get bigger, and sure enough, in Thursday's Al-Ahram, the plot thickens. A large back page story features both the Culture Minister and the Head Censor's answers to Azmy's query. Both officials reflect on the poor reviews Al-Limby got from most critics as a way of indicating that those who monitor culture are properly doing their job.
The article, however, never mentions just how popular Al-Limby is -- it's the highest-grossing film this summer, and the crowds are still filling theaters to watch Mohamed Saad's silly antics (and will probably be doing so even more so as a result of this controversy...).
A surprise is also proffered by the story: the producers had every right to use the Umm Kuthoum song because they had signed a contract with the copyright owners (to read more about Intellectual Property rights in the news, click here).
The controversy over Mohamed Saad singing a classic ditty in a funny way is clearly part of an ongoing story about a society in transition. There is clearly a gap between the critics hating it, and the general public lapping it up. Will we soon witness a war of words over the way other aspects of Egypt's modern heritage are being jazzified, housefied, and colorized for a younger, more globalized audience? 

For links to these articles and much more from the world of Arabic media go to www.zahma.com!

Crime
Junior operator
(cairolive.com, August 16, 2002) Al-Ahram and Al-Akhbar both front page a story on Thursday about yet another embarrassment for the medical community. Following on the heels of a scandal involving a dentist and his pornographic videos, authorities have now caught up with a practicing surgeon in Fayoum who -- in terms of education -- only went as far as intermediate school.
Pretending to be a visiting professor from Ain Shams university, the imposter (who authorities say had faked id cards with the name of a famous doctor) opened up a successful village clinic. The story says he had already tended to 300 patients at LE22 a pop before authorities caught up with him.

New developments
Press giants spruce up
(cairolive.com, August 16, 2002) Newspaper Al-Wafd's new headquarters in Dokki have been christened Dar Fouad Serag Eddin, after the longtime Wafdist who re-established the newspaper in 1984. The news is announced on the front page of Thursday's edition, along with a photo of the paper's new digs -- a striking-looking white-washed villa-like structure. 
Al-Wafd's move to new headquarters mirrors that of Al-Gomhouriya, whose press empire now resides in a futuristic looking building on Ramsis Street. Also giving the Cairo skyline much more of a modern metropolitan feel, Al-Ahram's plot on Galaa Street now features a new building with a skyway that links it to the original building next door.

Ad watch
It had to happen eventually
(cairolive.com, August 16, 2002) That's right... quicker than you can say "quicksilver" ... Skateboarding has come to Egypt.
As a trend it is still very fringe, if anything, but that may soon change thanks to a skateboarding festival of sorts sponsored by Protech, and taking place at the north coast's summer hot spot -- Marina.
Advertised in Thursday's Al-Ahram, "Nokia Totally Board" is the name of the event, set to feature skate-boarding shows, courses, contests, and prizes. The event is also sponsored by several newcomers to the Egyptian franchise scene, Mountain Dew and Quicksilver. It begins on the 15th.

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