CAIRO, 6 December 2006 — Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud, who is currently attending the 30th Cairo International Film Festival, described the ongoing clash between Egyptian and Syrian film artists as a spurious war waged with the ulterior motive of discrediting the drama industry in both countries, the daily Al-Watan reported yesterday.
“I don’t believe that a country would reject an artist merely because of his nationality,” said Ghassan, the actor who played Saladin in Ridley Scott’s “Kingdom of Heaven.”
Demanding an immediate end to this pointless war, the actor said: “A good film is one that wins popularity irrespective of the country from where it originates.”
The actor said he has received several offers to act in Egyptian films.
“I feel honored to work in them because Egypt is seen as the ‘Hollywood’ of the East.”