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News:
Arabic Publishers For Children Fight Cultural, Economic Obstacles
CAIRO (AFP) - Egyptian publishers of children's books in Arabic say their business is facing government indifference, cultural and economic obstacles and a society that regards children as non-entities. "There's never been any support, not even moral support, from the government," complained publisher Fathi Nassar from Al-Sakafiya Books.
Andy Smart from Britain, who founded one of the few children's publishing houses in Cairo, Hoopoe Books, agreed that the government makes "very little effort" to promote books for children. "Education policy in Egypt does not encourage children to read," he said.
According to Hussein Amin, an Egyptian writer and specialist in Islamic history, this lack of interest is deep-rooted. "Since pre-Islamic times, Arab writers have never catered for children because they consider them incomplete beings," he said, adding that teachers have traditionally been undervalued in the Arab world.
Nassar said few contemporary Egyptian authors are interested in writing for children, while those that do "write without really thinking about their needs." Another obstacle is that Arabic children's books are almost exclusively written in the formal classical language, which seems foreign to most young readers here, who speak the colloquial Egyptian version.
For some in the Egyptian publishing trade, economic obstacles also prevent them from increasing sales in the region, despite the common language and repeated talk in political circles about work towards an Arab free-trade zone. "It's very difficult to export, because production costs in Egypt are particularly high," said Laura Kfury, director of the Cairo publishing house Elias, explaining that the combination of deluxe paper, sophisticated printing techniques and high taxes make Egyptian books uncompetitive abroad.
Lebanese publisher Abbud Abbud said that while children's book exports are flourishing in Beirut, the Arab world's publishing capital, Egyptians have to rely on wily marketing techniques to secure foreign deals.
Nassar said the success of his company, which exports some 60 percent of its children's editions, stems from targeting rich, conservative Saudi clients with books on traditional subjects such as Arab civilization, religion and history. "It works as long as you don't show any bare legs," he said. "I recently had to change the cover of a book because it showed a young girl whose dress was a bit short."
Indian Film Fiasco Raises Charges Of 'Cultural Terrorism'
NEW DELHI (AFP) - India's film industry on Monday accused the Hindu nationalist-led government of bowing to "cultural terrorism" after an acclaimed director was forced to stop work on her latest movie following violence by Hindu fundamentalists.
Film directors and stars from the world's most prolific film industry denounced Sunday's directive by a state government freezing shooting on the latest film from Canadian director Deepa Mehta in the Hindu city of Varanasi.
The order came after a supporter of the militant Hindu Shiv Sena party tried to commit suicide to protest the movie "Water," which marks the final part of Indian-born Mehta's trilogy about her mother country. Although the script has been kept under wraps, the film has raised the ire of Hindu right-wingers.
Veteran director Mahesh Bhatt said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, whose Hindu nationalist BJP party rules the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where Varanasi is located, had failed to ensure artistic freedom. "My immediate response is that the government has succumbed to cultural terrorism, which is more insidious and terrible than the underworld."
"You have an enemy within," Bhatt said. "What is appalling is that despite clear instructions by the prime minister, the state government is not falling in line. The system is not working. If the body does not obey the head, it means the system is sick and diseased."
The central government had given a green light to the script of "Water" before the Uttar Pradesh authorities issued the banning order. Actress Nafisa Ali, who doubles up as a social activist, said the "Water" controversy sent a strong warning about the "so-called secularism" of the current government.
World Cinema Vie At Berlin's 50th Film Fest
BERLIN (AFP) - Hollywood stars will hog the headlines but art house and world cinema will also be competing for the limelight in the 50th annual Berlin Film Festival. New movies are in competition for the Golden Bear award, but will find themselves up against offerings from China, France, Germany and less well-known filmmakers from countries such as Macedonia and Turkey.
The full list of films in competition is:
 "Magnolia," by Paul Thomas Anderson (U.S.)
"The Beach," by Danny Boyle (U.S.)
"Mayis Sikintisi" (Clouds of May), by Nuri B. Ceylan (Turkey)
"Man On The Moon," by Milos Forman (U.S.)
"Prime Luci Dell'alba" (First Lights of Dawn), by Lucio Gaudino (Italy)
"The Hurricane," by Norman Jewison (U.S.)
"You Shi Tiaowu" (The Island Tales), by Stanley Kwan (China)
"Love Me," by Laetitia Masson (France)
"La Chambre Des Magiciennes" (The Room of the Magicians), by Claude
Miller (France).
"The Talented Mr. Ripley," by Anthony Minghella (U.S.)
"Signs And Wonders," by Jonathan Nossiter (U.S.)
"Dokuritsu Shonen Gasshoudan" (The Boys' Choir), by Akira Ogata (Japan)
"Gouttes D'eau Sur Pierres Brulantes" (Raining Drops on Burning Rocks),
by Francois Ozon (France)
"Russkij Bunt" (The Captain's Daughter), by Aleksandr Proschkin (Russia)
"Nebeska Udica" (Sky Hook), by Ljubija Samardzi (Macedonia)
"Die Stille Nach Dem Schuss" (Rita's Legends), by Volker Schloedorff (Germany)
"Any Given Sunday," by Oliver Stone (U.S.)
"Paradiso - Sieben Tage Mit Sieben Frauen" (Paradise - Seven Days with Seven Women), by Rudolf Thome (Germany)
"El Mar" (The Sea), by Agusti Villaronga (Spain)
"The Million Dollar Hotel," by Wim Wenders (U.S.)
"Wo De Fu Qin Mu Qin" (The Road Home), by Zhang Yimou (China)
The festival runs until February 20
Art & Entertainment
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