An appeal against all forms of violence: 678

While the central theme of the Egyptian film ‘Six, Seven, Eight (678), is the plight of women facing sexual harassment, the director, acclaimed scriptwriter Mohamed Diab said the film is an appeal against all forms of violence.

Director and artistes of the film Six, Seven, Eight

Diab and leading cast members of the film were addressing a press conference at the seventh Dubai International Film Festival, where the film marked its World Premiere. The cast and crew also joined other celebrities for a red carpet ceremony of the film’s gala screening.

Condemning violence of all forms, Diab said the film also highlights the need for personal space and privacy, saying that one needs to have a definite individual distance for peaceful co-existence. “We are a young generation that strives to write about issues of social relevance. In that sense, ‘Six, Seven, Eight’ is not only thoroughly contemporary but it also tries to convey a message that will resonate with every man who has a mother, wife or daughter.”

“Harassment is not only sexual – there is also harassment of feelings, privacy and emotions. We are proud to discuss such a universal issue in the Egyptian cinema. I stress that we can’t treat violence with violence, but as we can see, social boundaries drive individuals to tackle every issue differently.”

Actors Bushra, Maged El Kidwany, Nelly Karim, Bassem Samra, Omar Al Saeed, Nahed Farid, and producer Bushra Rozza were present at the press conference.

‘Six, Seven, Eight’ is competing for the Muhr Arab Feature Award, and will be screened on Dec. 15, 3.45pm at Cinestar 9 at Mall of the Emirates.