Despite Al-Azhar Approval, "The Atheist” Faces Uphill Battle

Al-Azhar University has approved the film “The Atheist,” thus ending a crisis over the film that has persisted for months and had the film waiting for approval from the premier religious authority in Egypt. Though the film’s script had previously been approved by the Egyptian Censorship Authority without any scenes deleted, the script was referred to Al-Azhar, and the finished product will have to be reevaluated.
Despite having attained the approvals they sought, the film still faces a real crisis, according to the film’s producer Adham Afifi, who said, “We finished filming two months ago and by that time I had full approval of the script, and I was very pleased,” he told Ahram Arabic news website. “I was surprised shortly afterwards when I received threatening phone calls, in addition to Facebook pages opposing the film's release. But I am determined to release Al-Molhid and am currently negotiating with a number of cinemas for a screening during the upcoming winter-break.” Director Nader Seif al-Din has received death threats for the film, which is the first ever in Egyptian cinema history to tackle atheism head on.
The story revolves around a well-known preacher with a television program whose son is an atheist, much to his father's dismay.The film, written and directed by Nader Seif el-Din, will star Sabry Abdel Moneim, Yasmine Gamal, Mohammed Hesham, Mohammed Abdel Aziz and Leila Ezz El Arab.