The Future of Water in MENA is at Stake

By Malak Altaeb / May 17, 2023

The MENA region, one of the driest in the world, is facing unprecedented water management challenges due to the effects of climate change

New Players Challenge America’s Cultural Dominance

By Sydney Wise /

The United States has been the world’s cultural giant since the twentieth century—but is its supremacy and soft power being challenged by Bollywood, Dizi, and K-Pop?

Creators Meet Censors

By Joseph Fahim / Winter 2018

Since the 2011 uprising, the freedom and mood of Egyptian cinema and television have changed considerably. A story of the growing standoff between creators and censorship in post-2011 Egyptian drama.

A Director’s Clash

By Frank E. Bartscheck II / Fall 2017

The film Eshtebak causes an uproar in Egypt.

Waheed Hamed is a screenwriter with an anti-Islamist mission. His films, television and radio dramas have tracked the transformation of Egyptian culture and society over the past half-century. He speaks to Cairo Review Associate Editor Nadeen Shaker about the state of Egyptian cinema and television today.