Ramadan Race: With the Entertainment Industry Coming to a Standstill, Will Egypt’s Upcoming Shows be Cancelled?
With Egypt just having received the confirmation of a nationwide curfew, the streets have become deserted and the country is preparing for an almost full lockdown. However, until very recently, the annual Ramadan TV series were still being filmed, albeit with a few precautionary measures.
The Egyptian Actors Syndicate, headed by Dr. Ashraf Zaki, recently stressed that there hasn’t been an official decision to stop filming any series so far, but the situation has been changing on an almost hourly basis. The syndicate has, at least, paused shooting of scenes that include large groups of people or gatherings.
On the other hand, Mohamed Hefzy, the Egyptian Producer and Screenwriter, has suspended shooting the Arabic Horror Series ‘Paranormal’ as a safety measure to protect the cast working on the series.
Several Egyptian artists, including Actress Rania Youssef, Screenwriter Mariam Naoum, and Filmmaker Yousry Nasrallah, called on those in charge of the entertainment industry in Egypt, to suspend filming during this critical 15-day period.
“The channels are putting pressure on the producers, the producers are putting pressure on the cast, and the cast is forced to shoot because of their sense of responsibility and their fear of losing their jobs,” said Naoum in a Facebook post.
With events unfolding so rapidly, it’s hard to predict what will happen a month from now, but the idea of Ramadan shows being cancelled is probably more than most Egyptians can bear right now. Stay tuned for more updates on the entertainment industry during these tough times.
