Egyptian censors will delay the screening of American movie “Fair Game” in Egypt for at least a week, according to a decision issued late on Monday. The movie was scheduled to appear on cinema screens beginning Tuesday.
The movie, directed by Doug Liman and starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, concerns America's discredited rationale for invading Iraq, Saddam's purported possession of weapons of mass destruction.
Egyptian actor Khaled al-Nabawy stars as an Iraqi nuclear scientist alongside Israeli actress Liraz Charhi, whose presence in the film has led to accusations that the film’s screening in Egypt normalizes relations with Israel.
Arguments erupted on Egyptian media channels last week when a permit for screening was delayed despite the announcement of the screening date.
Sayyed Khattab, head of Egypt's censorship, said he liked the movie but feared the presence of an Israeli actress.
Fair Game is based on the memoirs of former CIA officer Vallerie Plame, published in 2007 under the title “Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House.”
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
