Egyptian film battles IS with comedy
Egyptians are turning out in droves to see a new Egyptian movie satirizing the Islamic State, which aims to target the terrorist group and extremism from a different perspective.
A new Egyptian film is combating the Islamic State's ideas and dogma with comedy. The movie “El-Armoty in the Line of Fire” tells the story of a group of young Egyptians who are captured by IS. The hero of the film tries to save his friends in a series of humorous events. The film, starring comedy actor Ahmed Adam, was written by Mohammad Nabawi and Alaa Zenhom and directed by Ahmed al-Badri. It was released Jan. 25 in Egyptian theaters and made 2 million Egyptian pounds ($106,383) within a week.
Adam said in a Jan. 23 interview with CNN Arabic, “The movie is an attempt to document what the Arab world is currently going through and tries to make new generations understand the meaning of a scheme and the true meaning of Islam. Islam for those who speak in its name is merely a tool to serve their interests. These are mercenaries who received treatment in Israel only to go back and fight in Syria. Israel has been hitting Syria and we remain silent. Before, we used to talk about Arab unity. Now we pray for God to unite us within one country.”
In an interview on Dream TV's "10 p.m." show Jan. 26, Adam said that he has been receiving threats from IS over Facebook, prompting him to hire a bodyguard.
In another interview with the Egyptian al-Bawaba News on Jan. 20, Adam said, “The movie carries many messages in a humorous context in order to be easily relayed to the different communities and people of all ages. It also reassures Egyptians not to worry about IS. The Egyptian people do not fear these groups, as the city of Port Said was able to face three major countries on its own during the Tripartite Aggression against Egypt and was ultimately victorious. Egyptians will definitely not fear a bunch of armed factions.”
