Controversial Egyptian film features 'cure' to homosexuality
'Asrar Aa'eleya', Egyptian film pending release, tells story of Arab man on his quest to be cured of homosexuality; despite its conservative nature, its very theme is causing debate in Arab state
The issue of homosexuality in Arab
society is at somewhat of an impasse currently following the pending release of a controversial film in Egypt.
The film, "Asrar Aa'eleya" (Family secrets, in loose translation) tells the tragic story of an Arab young man who discovers his attraction to men.
The film, although it deals with the process of being 'cured' from homosexuality and is conservative in its stance regarding gays, is facing some major censorship difficulties in Egypt.
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The story's hero, Muhammad Marhan, experiences a trauma in his childhood and a while later discovers his sexual orientation. Even after he allegedly "shakes off" his tendencies, he has trouble becoming accepted in the Egyptian society.
The film's trailer
The film, which is based on real events, oddly also deals with the distress felt by homophobes.
But the film, by director Hany Fawzy, is experiencing difficulties. The head of censorship in the country ordered that no less than 13 scenes from the film be removed where they claim there are sexual innuendos and "encouragement" of homosexuality.
The film's poster
Fawzy, who also wrote the film, was surprised. "I made the move to talk about the silenced topics, the ones society treats like they're not there," he said.
He claimed that when he submitted the film for official censorship back under the regime of Muhamed Morsi, the organization was more moderate. Fawzy was asked to make several corrections to the script, saying airing the scenes could offend many in the Egypitan public.
Scene from the film
Now, in the post Muslim Brotherhood age, however, the censorship on the film was dramatically increased.
Fawzy said that there is an arbitrary stance by those in charge of censorship: "The scenes we were asked to remove don't even feature nudity," he said, "I'm going to appeal and fight for my right to show the film." Despite this, it seems that the director himself is uncomfortable with homosexuality; his quotes in Arab media seem to show that he believes homosexuality is a disease that the film offers a solution for.
The newspaper Al-Youm al-Saba'a featured a long article claiming censorship on the film is "outrageous", seeing as how there have been films that have dealt with homosexuality in the history of Egyptian cinema.
In the field, though, reality is much bleaker regarding homosexuality in Egypt specifically and in the Arab world in general.
According to the latest survey of the American Pew Survey Institution, acceptance rate for homosexuality stands on only three percent. Lacking more accurate date, Heba Kutb, the Arab world's first sex therapist, who hosts a show that deals with sex matters based on the Quran, claimed that 10% - 12% of Egyptian society might be homosexual.
There is no political body in Egypt that encourages homosexual rights, and public debate in the matter is nearly non-existent.
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