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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 000651 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR R, NEA/ELA, NEA/PPD, IIP, PA 
 
E.O. 12958: NA 
TAGS: PREL EG US OIIP KPAO KIRF PREL EG US OIIP KPAO KIRF
SUBJECT: EGYPTIANS REFLECT ON THE NIGHT BAGHDAD 
FELL 
 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY From a standing ovation at the Cairo 
International Film Festival to standing room only 
crowds in working class downtown theaters, the film 
The Night Baghdad Fell (NBF) has enjoyed critical 
and popular success in Egypts capitol since its 
premier on December 8.  The film condemns US 
involvement in Iraq while offering a poignant 
criticism of an indifferent Egyptian government and a 
cynical Egyptian society.  Response to particular 
scenes and themes varied according to audience, but 
the public and press have applauded the film overall. 
The film is one example of compelling artistic works 
offered to Cairenes this winter.   END SUMMARY 
ARY 
¶2. (U) On December 8, Press Off and Egyptian 
glitterati attended the premier of The Night Baghdad 
Fell (Lailat Sequoot Baghdad) at the 29th Cairo 
International Film Festival.  The only Egyptian entry 
in the festival, NBF was warmly received and there was 
palpable disappointment by Egyptian artists and 
critics when it failed to win any awards.  Some 
members of the press argued that the perceived slight 
was politically driven by the GOE in response to the 
films anti-GOE and anti-USG themes.  Other members of 
the press suggested that NBF was a victim of jury bias 
against Arabic films.  Notably, not a single Arabic 
film won a prize outside of the festivals Best 
Arabic Film category. 
¶3. (U) On January 12 during the Muslim Eid holiday 
when Egyptians frequent the cinema more than any other 
time of year, Press Off attended another screening of 
NBF in a crowded downtown Cairo theater filled with 
young couples and families.  Again, the audience raved 
over the film, this time largely in support of its 
f its 
anti-USG content. 
¶4. (U) The Night Baghdad Fell is the story of one 
Egyptian familys remarkable efforts to protect their 
country from a feared US invasion in the days 
following Operation Iraqi Freedom.  The lead 
protagonist is an Egyptian headmaster whose family is 
traumatized by media reports of the American attacks 
on Baghdad.  He begins to have nightmares that Egypt 
will also be attacked, that Cairo will be destroyed, 
and that his daughter will be sexually assaulted by 
the US military.  The headmaster thus employs a former 
student, once a brilliant scientist and now a cynical 
deadbeat, to develop a deterrent weapon for 
Egypt. The student proceeds to do so with growing 
support from the surrounding Egyptian community who 
eventually enlist in a private army organized by the 
headmaster to fight the USG. The film ends with the 
successful development and implementation of the 
weapon (an electrical shield that can implode 
attacking US airplanes) and the headmasters closing 
osing 
rhetorical question, What would have become of Egypt 
without this weapon? 
¶5. (U) NBF is unquestionably a condemnation of the 
Iraq War, Abu Gharaib, Iraqi civilian casualties and 
overall perceived American barbarism and imperialism. 
Actual footage of Secretary Rice speaking about Syria 
and Iran is shown on the familys television.  In the 
film, these countries are subsequently attacked by the 
US.  Director Mohamed Amir is quoted by Reuters 
(12/28/05) as stating ``I hoped the film would be 
shown in America and Americans should see it so that 
they would know to what extent the U.S. invasion of 
Iraq ... lost America its supporters in the region. 
¶6. (U) In another scene, the young scientist is 
distracted from this work by his fantasies about 
Secretary Rice.  While this brief scene has been 
 
SIPDIS 
highlighted in the Egyptian press, there was no clear 
reaction by audience members during either screening 
and no reference was made to the scene during 
conversations with audience members following the 
film. 
. 
¶7. (U) Audiences recognized the films portrayal of 
Egyptians as impotent, militarily and physically, in 
the face of American military power.  The greatest 
crowd pleaser at the working class theater Rivoli 
was when the young scientist finally succeeds in 
developing a prototype for the deterrent weapon and 
displays it before his community and new wife during a 
suspenseful test trial.  The crowd literally cheered 
as miniature planes exploded in air. 
¶8. (U) Aside from US foreign policy, the comedys true 
foil is Egyptian government and society.  The 
headmasters friends try to persuade him that the GOE 
must already have a deterrent weapon, otherwise why 
would it be so nonchalant and submissive in the face 
of a US threat?  In the favorite scene of the affluent 
premier audience, the young scientist commits himself 
to the weapon project when the headmaster agrees to 
offer him his daughters hand in marriage.  When the 
daughter admits to the scientist that she is only 
only 
marrying him for her country, he replies: Well, at 
least I got something out of Egypt. 
¶9. (U) Overall, both English and Arabic speaking 
audience members praised the film to Press Off and 
condemned the war in Iraq.  Without exception, these 
same individuals emphasized that Egyptians love 
Americans.  While this duality was absent from NBF, it 
is frequently voiced on the Egyptian streets. 
¶10. (U) On December 31, Press Off viewed an exhibit 
entitled Psych Ops as part of the Photo Cairo Festival 
curated by the cutting-edge Townhouse Art Gallery. 
The exhibit consisted of several chairs facing a 
television that played a genuine 1960s black and white 
USG psych ops training film.  The film described how 
USG officials can win the hearts and minds of the 
people of Hostland.  The exhibit also distributed 
free of charge some 2000 glossy pamphlets containing 
over 200 reprints of USG leaflets dropped on Iraq and 
Afghanistan.  The pamphlets were allegedly acquired 
ed 
from various websites including centcom and ebay.  The 
Egyptian and international audiences of Townhouse 
Gallery showed particular interest in these pamphlets, 
copies of which may now be seen on coffee tables 
across Cairo. 
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