What happens when terrorist threats are sent to religious figures or clerics, forcing them to flee for their lives?
The subject is the topic of the film Hassan and Morqos—Hassan is a common Muslim name while Morqos is a common Coptic name—directed by Ramy Imam and written by Youssef Maaty, the shooting of which has just begun. The film brings together for the first time two masters of Egyptian cinema, international film star Omar Sharif and top comedian Adel Imam, joined by Libliba, Hanaa’ al-Shorbagui, Youssef Dawoud and a host of Egyptian actors and actresses. The story line attempts to tackle the issue of national unity and the war against terrorism through the meeting of a Christian Theology professor and a Muslim Imam, both of whom are fleeing, under disguise, from the face of terrorist threats.
The original story depicted a priest but, when the filmmakers asked for the opinion of Pope Shenouda III he said it was impossible for an ordained priest to relinquish his priestly attire under any circumstances, so the character was changed into a layman, a theology professor.
The move by the filmmakers to consult the pope aroused controversy, with some criticising it as sanctioning church censorship. But, Maati told Watani, it was unreasonable to make a film on a Christian religious figure, written by a Muslim, directed by a Muslim and depicted by Muslim actors and actresses, without consulting the Church on the credibility of the details involved.
At a recent press conference held in Cairo by the film producer Emad El-Din Adeeb, he said that this was the first time in more than 50 years of Egyptian cinema that such a big production is dedicated to fighting terrorism and calling for unity between Muslims and Christians. “This is what drove me to produce the film,” he said.
On his part Adel Imam said that Pope Shenouda III greatly welcomed the film, while Omar Sharif said the film denounces all perpetrators of sectarian strife, whether Muslim or Christian. He expressed enthusiasm at working with Imam for the first time.
