Netflix’s Arabic ‘Perfect Strangers’ Draws Outrage in Egypt Over Gay Character as Film Hits No. 1
thewrap.comPerfect Strangers,” has quickly hit No. 1 in several countries across the Middle East and won critical acclaim, but it’s also been the subject of controversy and outrage from more conservative citizens and even lawmakers in Egypt.Attacks on social media against one of the film’s Egyptian stars, Mona Zaki, spread online since its debut on Jan.
20. But the outrage came to a head when an Egyptian lawmaker, Mostafa Bakri, said in a TV interview (via the Washington Post) that the film was “targeting” family values.
He even called for a special session of parliament to discuss whether “we should ban Netflix.” A lawyer even filed a lawsuit against the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and the Artistic Works Censorship Authority, saying that the film “promotes homosexuality.” Egypt has cracked down on LGBTQ+ individuals and gay rights with many arrests over the last several years. “Perfect Stranges,” or known by its Arabic title “Ashab wala Aaz,” is a remake of the Italian film also titled “Perfect Strangers” from 2016, and the film is notable for being the most remade film ever across 18 different countries.
The drama tells the story of a group of friends who at dinner plan to share everything on their phones, including emails, photos, texts and voicemails as they come in.
