Filmmaker and film scholar Shafik discusses modern cinema in Egypt, focusing on the three main topics of the nation, gender, and class, with subtopics touching upon the Other; the allegorical nation; feminism and femininity; female stardom, myth-production, and morality; negotiating class through genre; and audiences and class. The author also discusses genres such as melodrama, realism, and action in relation to debates over highbrow and lowbrow culture in light of local and international film criticism. Name and film indexes are both included. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)