10/31/2021 Egypt (International Christian Concern) – An Egyptian film “Feathers” sparked debate regarding the depiction of poverty shown in the movie. Well-known actors and even government officials criticized the film for depicting Egypt poorly. The movie, featuring amateur actors primarily from the minority Coptic community, tells the story of a poor woman who struggles to make ends meet after her husband is transformed into a chicken.

Director Omar El-Zohairy commented, “For me any artistic work will always generate differing views.” The movie even brought a lawsuit against the producers for “insulting Egypt and Egyptians”. Criticizers of the movie claimed that the slums depicted in the film are not representative of Egypt and are quickly diminishing. And yet, based on the government’s own figures, around one in three Egyptians live below the poverty line. One film critic commented, “If you’re actually shedding light on a social problem then you’re really wanting to move your country forward not insulting it.”

Egypt’s Christian population often suffers as second-class citizens, facing government discrimination and societal persecution. Egypt ranks 16^th on Open Doors World Watch List.

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