Clean Cinema
"Egypt's Problem with Sexy Cinema" is a BBC video report featuring director Hala Khalil discussing censorship and religious and ethical standards imposed on Egyptian cinema.
“Egyptians used to appreciate life and love life. Things like the hijab or shaking hands with women had never been a concern before. These things were dominant in the Gulf countries. We had the expression ‘clean’ cinema. There was no kissing, or ‘hot’ scenes on camera. Dealing with the audience started to be on ethical and religious grounds, and not on an artistic one.
You can’t hold a work of art accountable on ethical or religious grounds because the values of religion are different. This is how the west and liberal societies understand cinema and how Egypt understood it in the past. ”
Unfortunately, this can be felt across the Arab region, especially in the Gulf. When it comes to censorship, especially for films released in cinemas, religious/cultural standards are enforced more on Arab cinema compared to films from Hollywood or Bollywood.
via BBC