Egyptian puppet superstar Abla Fahita is no stranger to falling out with authority. In 2013, she was variously accused of being a British spy and a Muslim Brotherhood supporter following her appearance in a Vodafone advert which resulted in the Egyptian public prosecutor's office investigating her.
Today (Saturday, December 12) she appears at Dubai International Film Festival, for an ‘in conversation with’ session. But this time it is the hotel management rather than a government that she has been upsetting.
Fahita was due to film a segment for Entertainment Tonight in her hotel room prior to her appearance at Diff's forum, but it seemed that her hotel was not quite ready for the publicity that accompanies being featured on one of the world's biggest celebrity TV platforms. The hotel management banned the shoot due to a strict 'one guest per room' rule and refused to allow the camera crew, puppeteers, associated crew and staff access.
Fahita told The National exclusively: "Maybe it's because I'm so beautiful that they won't let people in my room. I don't know what they think I can do with two people that I can't do with one. They should remember it's not the numbers that matter, but the intention."
Fahita said she hoped to find an alternative shooting location before she returns to Cairo tomorrow, and that Diff would try to assist her.
cnewbould@thenational.ae
