Italians were among the oldest and largest immigrant communities in Egypt. The documentary by Sherif Fathy Salem The Italians of Egypt (80′, 2011) tells the story of this community, considered the most integrated in Egyptian society and highly respected for their contributions to the developments of modern Egypt, especially in Alexandria and Cairo. Their influence and prestige peaked in the 1930s but then declined because of Italy’s role in WWII.

Sherif Fathy Salem is an Egyptian/Italian film producer and director with fifteen years of experience. He has produced and directed a wide range of documentaries for distinguished broadcasters in the MENA region and in Europe. In 2005, he founded SPOT1.tv, an independent film production house in Italy. Among his other films are Living with Walls (90’, 2017), which received honourable mention at the 3rd International Beyond the Borders Documentary Festival in Greece in 2018, Cinema Memory (50′, 2016), That Alexandria (78′, 2013), and Clandestini (50’, 2009). Salem was born in Cairo, where he studied architecture and film directing, and lives today in Rome and Cairo. He also regularly teaches filmmaking and is a member of the European Documentary Network and the Italian Independent Producers Association.

In English
Organized by

Amina ElHalawani

An ICI Event in cooperation with the Center for Gender and Diversity Research (ZGD) and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Global South Studies (ICGSS) at the University of Tübingen, and TRAVESSIA at Federal Fluminese University (UFF), Brazil

How to Attend
  • At the venue (registration required): Registration opens on 13 April 2022.
  • Public livestream (no registration required) on this page with the possibility to ask questions via chat.

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KV The italians of Egypt

film still The Italians of Egypt © Alessandro Monti