I was thrilled when I found "Empire M" in the list of films available on the Qatar Airways from Doha to Khartoum. The long journey that takes us from Doha in the direction of Iran first to avoid the airspace of the coalition countries and arrive in Khartoum in 6 hours instead of three.
I remember that in the time of the boy - perhaps in 1973 - we had once gone to the camel, Mtawakil mercy in the famous mill, which was a kiss for the people of the neighborhood to buy the live Fritita, yellow and wheat and to grind those grains. Al-Mukhtawakil told us that we would like to go to the net cinema and that that evening we will be presenting an Arab film and that we will watch the film in the "first floor". Cinematographers used to show films twice. The first starts at about 7.30 pm and the show ends around 9.30. The second offer means returning home after midnight and this will be a cause of severe punishment and bad reputation among the extended family.
The late Mutawakel put his hand in his pocket and we each took 5 piasters. That was enough to go into the night and provide enough honey, beans, lupins and cupcakes to enjoy a great night.
The film "Empire M" tells the story of the life of a woman who holds a ministerial position in education (Faten Hamama). She is also the mother of four boys and two girls. The father has died for several years; the children try to enjoy their love and the mother tries to control them. ; The film shows some contradiction between the claim of the principles of freedom and democracy and the attempt to uphold the principles of conservative society over its values and genes. The mother becomes more confused after she falls in love with a wealthy businessman (Ahmed Mazhar), creating a conflict between her time to raise her children and her personal life.
I do not know if we have understood the story of the film at that age, but established that film in my imagination and linked Fatin Hamama (may God have mercy on her) in my mind. I watched the film after an absence of more than forty years and returned in the same series with a lot of memories of young people starting to stand in the ranks of entering the cinema and those seats inside the cinema and return home at night through the League Square Shambat and we are afraid of what some say about the events that occurred ... I think it was woven from the imagination of our people so as not to think about entering the cinema never; I think they did not succeed much in that.
3 August 2017