The Hedgehog (Le Herisson) scooped three awards in Cairo last night. In only her third film as a director, Mona Achache won the Critics' Prize, Best Director and the Special Jury Prize. The Hedgehog was inspired by the eponymous novel by Muriel Barbery. The screenplay was written by Achache. The film tells the story of Renée Michel a fifty-something female concierge with an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a passion for great works of literature. Paloma is a 12-year...

  CAIRO ¬ The joke going around Cairo today is that the Algerian Tribute in the city's international film festival will be withdrawn if the Algerian football team beats Egypt in this Saturday's crunch game. It is only a joke, but the fact is that even the most ardent of Egypt's film buffs are focused on the crucial world cup qualifier that will see one or the other country through to the World Cup finals in South Africa next year. Punters have commented that the orga...