Cypriot Ambassador in Aswan: Teenagers' Issues Have Evolved Dramatically Due to Culture and Technology

Egypt - Ekhbary News Agency

Cypriot Ambassador: Culture and Technology Have Reshaped Teenager Issues

In a distinctive artistic and cultural gathering on the sidelines of the Aswan International Women's Film Festival, the Cypriot Ambassador to Egypt, Poli Ioannou, shed light on the profound transformations in teenagers' issues in the modern era. This came during a panel discussion held after the screening of the Cypriot film 'A Day and Night's Turn,' which tells the story of a group of teenage girls, around 18 years old, embarking on new experiences away from their familiar environment.

Ambassador Ioannou explained that the film's title carries significant historical and political connotations, as Cyprus witnessed a coup and invasion in 1974. However, the film focuses on the 'turns' or pivotal transformations in the lives of adolescents. During the panel, the ambassador pointed out a fundamental difference between the problems faced by teenagers in her generation and those confronting today's youth. 'When I was a teenager, the problems were completely different. Today, these issues have changed dramatically due to evolving circumstances, technological advancements, cultural shifts, and increased awareness among today's youth,' the ambassador stated.

Artistic and Symbolic Explorations in the Film Discussion

The panel included prominent figures from the film industry and critics, such as director Magdi Ahmed Ali, actress Salwa Mohamed Ali, and Dr. Azza Kamel, Vice Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Aswan Festival. Actress Salwa Mohamed Ali discussed the importance of artistic elements in the film, highlighting the growing role of the soundtrack, particularly music and dialogue, in conveying emotions. She emphasized the bold and innovative use of silence in the soundtrack, considering it an artistic courage with deep connotations.

She also touched upon the significance of 'visual silence' in the film, where moments of stillness are depicted for characters and objects, such as a scene of a girl burning a cardboard house. She asserted that this silence, and the scarcity of dialogue, imbue objects with deeper meanings, especially concerning adolescent relationships and their anxieties about new experiences.

Director Magdi Ahmed Ali, for his part, commented that the political backgrounds alluded to by the Cypriot ambassador could have been more represented in the film. However, the short and fast-paced nature of the film led to a focus on the teenagers' stories, their first experiences, and their confused rhythms.

Film's Realism and Interpretations of the Raw Aesthetic

Dr. Azza Kamel commented on the adolescent experiences depicted in the film, particularly the relationship between boys and girls, noting the shift from shyness and fear in the past to liveliness and exuberance in the present. She affirmed that the film, while perhaps not professionally produced by conventional standards, is impactful because it appears very realistic, resembling events in Egypt.

The Cypriot ambassador offered an interpretation of some artistic aspects, such as the empty frames showing ordinary clothes, considering it a sign of returning to normal life. She also suggested that the film's raw, unpolished visual style might mirror how young people currently share details of their daily lives on platforms like 'TikTok' and 'Facebook.' She stressed that this is not due to a lack of resources but an artistic choice to enhance realism, making the film more authentic, even if that reality is incomplete.

The ambassador concluded by stating that the film's visual power often surpassed its words, and that social media has enabled everyone to film and share everything. She added that the silence in the film might prompt viewers to reflect and derive ideas. She emphasized the film's universal appeal as it addresses the feelings and issues of adolescent girls everywhere, and that the director's artistic endeavor lay in experimentation and the pursuit of cinema that reflects real life.

Dr. Azza Kamel, in turn, called for approaching the film from an artistic perspective, away from moral judgments, asserting that the emotions and relationships it portrays might be natural in some societies and unacceptable in others, making moral judgment on a universally themed artwork inappropriate.