The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

On the 1^st of June, 2021, the Narrative Summit – Reshaping Norms 2021 released its newest episode for its most recent session, under the title “A New Era Begins”.  This online programme allows experts and specialists in various creative fields to hold discussions to share their success stories and opinions with the public. Narrative Summit’s successful events have been taking place every year since 2016. However, with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event’s organizers launched the Reshaping Norms programme to adapt to new norms, and Reshaping Norms has garnered an impressive 11 million followers, 4.5 million views, and 3.5 million interactions.

Its latest episode, titled “Cinema: Egypt’s Narrative”, focused on the world of cinema and TV in Egypt. It featured talks by DOP Ahmed Al Morsy and TV producer Tarek Al-Ganainy, founder and CEO of TVISION Media Production, where they spoke about the latest advancements in the cinema and TV industry, as well as the future of both fields in the current world, especially with the ongoing pandemic.

Ahmed Al Morsy shared his opinions, stating, “Cinematography has developed dramatically in the last 15 years.” He spoke about how this unexpected development caused a rise in demand for digital platforms, a new medium that quickly gained popularity among people. He stated, “The competition, which is no longer limited to cinema and TV, will undoubtedly be beneficial for the public, where the development of digital technology has added a very good opportunity for ambitious young people to produce high-quality cinematic works through mobile phones and digital cameras.”

Al Morsy also discussed his role in the Royal Mummies Parade, bringing to light details about how preparation and planning aided in giving the world this new and unique experience. “Excellence requires ambition and enthusiasm combined with continuous learning,” he said.

Producer Tariq Al-Ganainy spoke next, talking about digital platforms and how they’ve become a global trend. He spoke about how advertising campaigns have become directed to content found on American and European digital platforms, stating, “Within no more than five years, television will feature nothing but talk shows, sports events, and news, amid complete digital platforms’ domination over cinema and TV.” Al-Ganainy explained that, since 70% of the Arab world’s population is under 25 years of age, platforms are driven to provide them with engaging content, keeping content aimed at older individuals to a minimum.

Al-Ganainy also discussed the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Egyptian cinema and TV, stating that topics tackled in TV have changed to suit consumers who have had to face these difficult times. For example, he explained that this year, “there were almost no comedies during Ramadan because the content-makers felt that the public would not accept watching a comedy while in crisis.” Nonetheless, Al-Ganainy asserted that cinema will make a comeback among the public, stating, “Cinema recovery is imminent as moviegoers hungrily await.” He said optimistically that, for this reason, he is already working on three different movies set to be released this summer.