Egyptian comedian combines art and agriculture

www.weekly.ahram.org.eg


Rasha El Ibiary and Yomna Kamel Special to the Middle East Times
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Motivated by his belief that artists play a significant role in developing their countries, Mohammed Sobhi, one of Egypt's most popular comedians, has launched a landscaped cultural compound on the Cairo­Alexandria road.

The project, Sombol's City for Arts and Flowers, opened by Sobhi a few months ago, took 50 feddans in the desert and turned them green. It comprises a theater, summer cinema, movie studio, hotel, house for the elderly, an orphanage and an art school for homeless children. Although business projects headed by artists, actors or singers are not uncommon in Egypt, Sobhi's charitable project is the first of its kind to be carried out by an Egyptian actor.

"I've been dreaming for more than 18 years of establishing such a project through which I can present something unique to people. But due to financial considerations, it was delayed," Sobhi said.

"The project was just an idea, an imagination," he added. "Walt Disney started with an idea. One has to have ambitions that should be almost equal to his ability, or else his efforts will be in vain."

Sobhi's project may be unique, but so are the 14 plays he presented as an actor and director they are distinguished marks in the history of Egyptian theater. His plays successfully illustrate the feelings, suffering, dreams and fears of Egyptians. He is the first to present two plays at the same time: "Mama Amrika" (America: My Mother) and "Yaowmiat Wanees" (Wanees's Diary). "Mama Amrika" is a political play illustrating the relationship between Arabs, the United States and Israel, while "Yaowmiat Wanees" narrates the story of an Egyptian man and his family.

Sobhi graduated from the Academy of Art in 1970, where he taught for 14 years. In 1984, he resigned and began teaching his theater team.

When he felt it was the right time, Sobhi said he started looking for a spot of land for his project. The Ministry of Agriculture offered him a spot in Nasr City. "I wanted to establish my project in a new area away from Cairo noise" he said, which is why he chose an area in the desert.

"Although people said I was crazy [since it is difficult for Cairo residents to go there], I strongly believe in my idea. And based on that, I went on building my cultural compound," said Sobhi.

The project has a philosophy. If it was measured by the material benefit, it would never have been tackled, added Sobhi. "I want [the project] to succeed at the level of the idea. I want to improve the thought and feelings of the Egyptians, to make them more civilized and proud of themselves," he said.

Some say they do not expect Sobhi's project to be profitable. Sobhi, however, believes his project will be a success even if it will not make much money.

"I'm looking more for the success of the idea," Sobhi stressed.

By building in a remote area, he said, he wanted "to draw people's attention to a new beautiful life outside Cairo and Egypt's major crowded cities and encourage them to start a new life away from noise and pollution."

Sobhi plans to build a house for himself and his family in the same area. "When I stay here and see the sunset, I hate going back to the city [Cairo]," he added.

The art school for street children will house around 20 girls and boys from six to seven years old. The kids will study dance, music, singing and acting.

"I want to prove that providing a healthy and proper environment for the child at an early age contributes a lot to making him a useful member in society," Sobhi explained.

Another reason for his project is its spacious theater where Egyptian, Arabic and non­Arabic plays will be performed. The theater is expected to encourage people to show their love and respect for art "by getting out of their cities purposely to visit Sobhi's compound and attend the plays they like," Sobhi said.

Sobhi is also planning to host a number of veteran artists in a house adjoining the compound. "I thought about providing accommodation for veteran artists who cannot afford to live in a proper house after years of dedicating themselves to art," he clarified. Sobhi remembers Fatma Roshdy, an actress who was famous in the 50s but later died in poverty.

In addition, Sobhi is planning to construct a 10­building hotel representing different countries' architectural styles.

"I want to have a summary of the world," he said.

According to Sobhi, the hotel will include Arabic, American, Indian, African, British and Italian styles. The reason for setting up that hotel, pointed out Sobhi, is to encourage visitors to stay overnight and see the place.

"Visitors have to feel [like they are] in a unique atmosphere," he said.

Believing that agriculture is as important as art in feeding people's mind, Sobhi dedicated large areas of his land to planting wheat and grapes. That is in addition to the vast green area of the project.

Getting art and agriculture together in one project represents Sobhi's ideology for improving life in Egypt: "We should control our thoughts and produce our wheat." In other words, we should not let anyone dominate our minds and we should not be waiting for others to send us our food, he explained.

Sobhi's art city project was named after his popular television series "Sombol," which narrates the story of a simple peasant who had numerous problems with the government because he decided to move to the desert and cultivate it.

"Sombol is the symbol of invading the desert. That is why I called my project after his name," said Sobhi.

Sobhi's project is expected to be officially inaugurated by a group of ministers in November. The whole project is expected to be completed within two years.
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