The Preacher
+Visiting Director
+Minnesota Premiere
+Egypt
Friday, 9/29 at St Anthony Main Theatre
7:00 p.m.
Buy tickets >>>
Post-screening Q&A with visiting director Magdi Ahmed Ali.
THE PREACHER (MAWLANA)
Magdy Ahmed Ali
narrative / drama
130 mins / 2016
Egypt
Arabic with English subtitles
Minnesota premiere
Hatem (Amr Saad), a moderate young preacher in Cairo, becomes a television celebrity with millions of fans. This makes him a perfect tool for government manipulation on a mass scale, as his eloquence and wit are employed by key figures in the Egyptian state to influence policy and religious practice. However, when the cameras are off, bloody struggles for state power rage, and as Hatem tries to stay out of political and sectarian disputes, his personal and professional life become increasingly consumed by the complex tapestry of Egyptian politics. Based on a novel by the same name, Mawlana by Ibirahim Issa, the story offers a critique of power, corruption, and fundamentalism in Egyptian society. In addition, this dark and convincing film highlights the importance of media in the production of political and religious agendas.
Festivals and Awards:
Dubai International Film Festival, UAE, 2016
Göteborg Film Festival, Sweden, 2017
Magdy Ahmed Ali graduated with a degree in pharmacy before becoming a filmmaker. He studied filmmaking at the Higher Institute of Cinema and worked closely with directors like Muhammad Khan, Khairy Beshara, and Youssef Chahine. In 1996, Ali directed his first film Ya Dunia Ya Gharami, which won the best film and best actress awards at the Montreal World Film Festival. Mawlana is his sixth feature film.
