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A reception at the Turkish Embassy in Cairo on Sunday honored Türkiye’s delegation to the 46th Cairo International Film Festival, where the country is participating under the “Turkish Spotlight” banner and where renowned director Nuri Bilge Ceylan is chairing the International Feature Film Jury.
The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is an annual international film festival organized by the Ministry of Culture in Egypt.
Head of the Cairo Film Festival Hussein Fahmy referenced his close dialogue with Ambassador Sen, calling Türkiye’s participation and Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s jury presidency historically significant.
Fahmy also wished for continued cooperation between Egyptian and Turkish cinemas.
Attendees included Turkish delegation members Birol Guven and Nuri Bilge Ceylan, famous actors, as well as prominent Egyptian artists, actors, and actresses.
Two Turkish productions, Aldigimiz Nefes (The Breath We Take) and Oldurdugumuz Seyler (The Things You Kill), will compete in the International Best Film category.
The short film Dilan Hakkinda Konusmaliyiz (We Should Talk About Dilan) will also be screened.
Ambassador Sen addressed the guests, stating that since his arrival, he sought to build bridges between the two countries through art and culture, a goal positively received by President Fahmy.
Expressing happiness at seeing this dream realized with Türkiye’s extensive participation, he offered special thanks to President Fahmy.
He also noted that the Cairo International Film Festival’s prestige is rooted in the power of Egyptian cinema that swept the region in the 1930s and 1940s, heavily influencing Turkish cinema and music during that period.
He emphasized that the two cinema cultures are “kindred” due to historical interaction, feeling that old Egyptian films resemble Turkish ones.
He expressed hope for future co-productions adapting many compelling stories from the two countries’ shared history and culture.
His initial proposal was a co-production film adaptation of the “Zeynep Kamil Hanim” story, on which an Egyptian author is currently working.
Ambassador Sen recalled that Egyptian cinema gave the world talents like actor Omar Sharif, director Youssef Chahine, and vocalist Umm Kulthum, all well-known in Türkiye.
He also noted that Turkish music legend Muzeyyen Senar visited and was a guest of Umm Kulthum in Cairo, highlighting further interaction.
He concluded that the three major countries with a strong cinema tradition in the region are Egypt, Turkiye, and Iran. Just as in trade and industry, Turkiye and Egypt will continue to follow, emulate, and influence each other in cinema.
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