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Youssef Chahine is Dead

via Hawg Blawg, I see that Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine is dead. I haven’t seen his earlier work, but I am a fan of al-Massir (Destiny). It’s protagonist is Ibn Rushd, and it’s a reflection of the rise of authoritarianism and the loss of knowledge. There are a couple of sub-plots that I really appreciated in the film, including mystical authoritarianism, which people don’t often associate together, and the power of music to represent freedom. Youssef Chahine

Disturbing and Sad

A film that might prove objectionable to some is not being released. Now I understand that this is not a universal rejection, just in the South, and there are commercial interests involved. However, from commercial interests to implicit censorship is not a far stone’s throw. We saw it with Buster the Rabbit. How far will this go? At what point to stop being creative for fear of offending? At what point do we stop being thought provoking? At what point do we become soylent green?