Discussion held by the Egyptian Pavilion during the Cannes Film Festival (Photo: Mona Sheded)
The Pavilion organized a roundtable on Saturday that brought together several figures from Egyptian and Arab film industry, including Hussein Fahmy, actor and president of Cairo International Film Festival; Hany Aboul Hassan, Adviser to the President of the Egyptian Media Production City for International Cooperation, Dhia Jerbi from the Archive Circulation Initiative in Tunisia, and Youssef El-Shazly, Head of Distribution at Misr International Films and supervisor of the restoration and sale of its cinematic library.
The discussion explored the growing efforts to restore classic Egyptian and Arab films, the challenges facing archival preservation in the region, and the importance of reconnecting younger generations with cinema's history.
One of the central themes of the session was the renewed interest of younger audiences in classic Egyptian cinema. Speaking during the discussion, Hussein Fahmy emphasized that preserving cinematic heritage surpasses merely saving old films. Rather, preserving that heritage concerns, more importantly, retaining our artistic memory and introducing new generations to the origins of the language of film and storytelling.
Participants noted that many young viewers today are increasingly fascinated by restored classics because early filmmakers were still discovering the language of cinema itself, experimenting with framing, camera movement, editing rhythms, and narrative structures in ways that continue to feel artistically fresh and inventive.
Youssef El-Shazly discussed the extensive restoration work carried out on films from the company’s archive, including works by legendary filmmaker Youssef Chahine. He explained that restoration is far more complex than simply cleaning images or improving sound quality.
"Restoration is also research," El-Shazly noted during the session, explaining that technicians often need to return to original references, production materials, and surviving prints to understand a film's intended colours, textures, and visual identity.
He also highlighted the growing technical capabilities inside Egypt, noting that restoration processes that once had to be completed in European laboratories can now increasingly be carried out locally in Cairo at a significantly lower cost while maintaining high quality standards.
Hany Aboul Hassan presented the restoration centre’s work on Egypt’s historic audiovisual archives, including thousands of film reels documenting major moments in modern Egyptian history. He described the project as an effort to safeguard the country’s visual memory for future generations.
Aboul Hassan explained that many archival materials were transferred from deteriorating storage conditions to highly equipped preservation facilities. He added that restoration technologies capable of scanning films at 6K resolution are now being used before producing exhibition-ready 4K versions.
The session further expanded into broader regional questions through the participation of Tunisian archivist Dhia Jerbi from the Archive Circulation Initiative. The initiative is a collective working across Tunisia, Algeria, and Lebanon to preserve independent and underrepresented Arab film archives.
Jerbi emphasized the need for Arab and African countries to develop local restoration capacities rather than depending entirely on expensive European institutions to preserve their own cinematic heritage. He also called for stronger regional cooperation and shared archival networks across the Arab world.
The conversation also addressed the growing role of artificial intelligence in restoration work. While some participants acknowledged that AI tools can significantly accelerate technical processes such as removing scratches or repairing damaged frames, others warned against relying entirely on automated systems.
Several speakers stressed that human expertise remains essential, particularly when reconstructing original colour palettes, sound textures, and artistic intentions that require historical and cultural understanding rather than algorithmic correction.
Questions from the audience touched on streaming platforms and whether they contribute to restoration efforts. Speakers agreed that while platforms rarely finance restorations directly, the demand for classic content on digital services has encouraged many producers to restore and digitize their film libraries.
Throughout the discussion, restoration emerged not simply as a technical process, but as a cultural and historical responsibility, one aimed at preserving the artistic identity of Arab cinema while ensuring that its legacy remains accessible to future generations.
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