Artist Omar Hassan Youssef expresses resentment over his father's name being ignored at the opening of the "Theatrical Professions" festival

SadaNews - Artist Omar Hassan Youssef expressed his resentment at the omission of his father, the great artist Hassan Youssef, from the video accompanying the opening song of the Theatrical Professions Syndicate festival, which was presented by artist Tamer Hosny.

The video included archival scenes of several Egyptian theatrical and artistic icons who have passed away, but the absence of Hassan Youssef's name drew the attention of viewers, prompting his son to publicly express his anger, indicating that this neglect reflects a clear deficiency in understanding the history of Egyptian theater.

Omar wrote on his official Facebook account: "With all due respect to Tamer Hosny's song presented at the Theatrical Professions Syndicate festival, the one who designed the video needs to review the history of Egyptian theater and art, and tell us where Hassan Youssef was in this video, or maybe they don’t see the significant role he played for Egyptian art. It’s very strange and laughable; you should have researched a bit more before you made the song."

Omar indicated that the absence of his father's name is not only surprising but also "laughable" for him, affirming that those who prepared the video should have reviewed the history of Egyptian theatrical icons before presenting it to the audience.

This criticism comes hours after a similar objection raised by director Adel Awad, the son of the late artist Mohamed Awad, who also criticized the marginalization of his father's appearance for only a few seconds in the promotional video, despite his extensive theatrical career that surpasses one hundred artworks.

On the other hand, the opening ceremony honored several artists who have stayed away from the spotlight for years, most notably artist Diaa El-Mirghani, whose health condition sparked widespread engagement, along with artists Abdullah Mashref and Sabri Abdel-Monem.

This controversy has raised questions about the criteria for choosing honored artistic figures or those included in documentary materials presented at such events, amid calls for accuracy and fairness in documenting the history of Egyptian theater, ensuring that all its icons are treated equitably without marginalization or omission.

It is worth noting that the festival activities involve more than a thousand artists, technicians, and administrators from different generations, presenting 32 theater performances free of charge to the audience in festive artistic atmospheres aimed at restoring the luster of the Egyptian theater stage.