Egypt is known as the Hollywood of the Arab World and the first country in Africa and the Middle East to establish a film industry with first screenings taking place in 1896. Standing between East and West, Egypt was a meeting place of ideas and philosophies from all over the world. The result was a cultural renaissance, in which a multi-faceted cinema, blending the language of modernity and the spirit of ancient Egypt, was to thrive. The 1940s to 1960s are considered the Golden Age of Egyptian cinema, a time when many Egyptian films gained international recognition. The second half of the 20th century showed a noticeable decline in the number and quality of films produced, but the film industry managed to resist annihilation despite losing ground in its historic sphere of influence. Today the Egyptian film industry is in crises due to political and economic instability.

As a tribute to the Egyptian cinema, we present project [#cec] (Celebrating Egyptian Cinema): a collection of scenes from significant Egyptian films blended with the cinematic sound of XPURM’s album “PRUMX”.