Film Focus

2012 Caravan Festival of the Arts

Yousra

On April 26 February 2010, the celebrated Egyptian actress Yousra gave a talk on the importance of the Arts in bridging between peoples.

Yousra is a household name throughout the Middle East and is an icon of Arab Cinema. She has starred in numerous films. However, in addition to her illustrious film career, she is also a voice and activist on behalf of the suffering and oppressed and human rights. This led to her serving as a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador for a number of years, for which she received many awards for her humanitarian efforts.

In her speech she stated, ‘The arts are one of the most powerful ways to bring society together….This is true even though those who wish to restrict freedom also often wish to restrict art…Art unites us, it is a language of love, a language of peace; it goes straight to your heart.” Yousra also expressed concern for the future of Egypt as well; “After the revolution we are starting to hear voices that threaten our freedom. This scares me, but it also makes me want to fight harder for it…You can never negotiate a person’s freedom.”