Egypt
The death of filmmaker Shady Habash makes author Wael Eskandar think of a friend who goes by the same first name - and of how the Egyptians deal with injustice and loss.
Heba Y. Amin talks to Calum Humphreys about her recent exhibition “Fruit from Saturn”. They discuss Germany’s toxic legacy of land mines in North Africa, the modern autocrat’s fascination for megaprojects, and walking watermelons through Cairo.
Yezid Sayigh has spent many years closely examining the interdependence of the military and the economy in Egypt. He explains why investors are skating on thin ice putting their money into country and why the military is hiding in the TV market.
The raid on independent Egyptian new outlet, Mada Masr, has drawn worldwide attention. One of the last critics of the Egyptian government may be unsilenced for now, but freedom of press in the country remains at an all-time low.
While being defeated in Iraq and Syria, the so-called Islamic State still fights on in other regions. In the Sinai they appear to hold their ground – despite a brutal crackdown by the country's military.
Egyptian laborers have been facing kidnapping and murder just to be able to make a living in Libya. While some Egyptians decided to stay, others have returned to Egypt. And some have even returned home only to go back to Libya again.
Egyptian director Youssef Chahine challenged the status quo and shattered taboos. Today, filmmakers Marianne Khoury and Alia Ayman experience censorship on many different levels. But nevertheless, their vision of cinema is finding its own voice.
Camp David rewarded Egypt's army for peace but also paved the way for the repressive surveillance state. When the revolution hit the streets in 2011, it dawned on our author how pivotal 1979 proved to be in that context.