Egyptians

Think of Japanese movies, and two things readily come to mind: samurai and anime. But organizers of the L.A. EigaFest - a showcase of contemporary cinema from the Land of the Rising Sun - aim to show Angelenos that the nation's filmmakers are up to much more than that. The festival, now in its second year, runs Friday through Sunday at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and features films on such topics as an unraveling supermodel, a time-traveling Roman architect and a single mother raising two werewolf children.

As restive Egyptians face a vote on a controversial new constitution this weekend, many may find themselves torn between exhaustion and fury. Voter endorsement of the hastily drafted national blueprint that enshrines the rights of Islamists but ignores most others might encourage opponents to accept defeat and move on, curbing persistent unrest that is hampering economic recovery. Or, disillusioned opponents of President Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood allies could react with renewed anger, prolonging the violence and the bitter polarization of the political scene.

Two-time Oscar winner Sally Field ("Norma Rae," "Places in the Heart'), currently starring as Mary Todd Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," will be chatting about her long career Sunday at the American Cinematheque's Aero Theatre. "Ed Wood" screenwriter Larry Karaszewski will be leading the discussion with Field, who won the New York Film Critics Circle supporting actress award last week. The evening will also feature clips from her film and TV work. Rosalind Russell was the toast of Broadway in 1956 as the irrepresible "Auntie Mame.

CAIRO - Egypt's leading opposition group urged its followers Wednesday to vote against an Islamist-inspired draft constitution, ending weeks of indecision over whether antigovernment forces should boycott the referendum, which begins this weekend and pits secularists against the Muslim Brotherhood. The move by the National Salvation Front is a crucial test of its popularity against President Mohamed Morsi and his Islamist supporters. The opposition movement has revived the country's revolutionary fervor but has been marred by division and poor organization, which are expected to be exploited by the Brotherhood's vast grass-roots networks.

CAIRO -- Egypt's leading opposition group urged its followers Wednesday to vote against an Islamist-drafted constitution, ending weeks of indecision over whether anti-government protesters should boycott a referendum set for this weekend. The move by the National Salvation Front will be a pivotal test for an opposition that appears to lack enough widespread support to derail a referendum backed by President Mohamed Morsi and the powerful Muslim Brotherhood. The opposition has revived the country's revolutionary fervor but has been marred by divisions and poor organization.

A vote by millions of Egyptians on a new constitution should have been an occasion for national celebration. But overreaching by Islamists, including the country's president, has made the referendum that begins Saturday a source of division. Even if the document is approved, President Mohamed Morsi will need to reach out to Egyptians - including Christians, secularists and women - who feel they have been excluded from a revolution they helped create. Yes, Morsi was legitimately elected, but that doesn't relieve him of the responsibility to preside over an inclusive government.

CAIRO - Knots of men argue politics, barefoot boys grip stones, graffiti blooms, banners unfurl and wind whistles through the tents of protesters in the latest stage of a revolution that, at least for now, has revived passions and lighted new campfires in Tahrir Square. How long the fervor will last is uncertain. The opposition against Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has called for mass rallies Tuesday in a final push to block a referendum on a new constitution - one that many fear would favor Islamist interests - set for this weekend.

CAIRO -- Tens of thousands of Egyptians marched to the presidential palace Friday demanding that President Mohamed Morsi step down. "Leave, leave like Mubarak!" they chanted, referring to Morsi's predecessor, deposed leader Hosni Mubarak. Many protesters no longer asked for Morsi to rescind a decree that expanded his powers and postpone a referendum scheduled Dec. 15 on a proposed charter written by an Islamist-dominated assembly.   Protesters said they were upset by Morsi's televised address Thursday, during which he offered a "national dialog" with opposition leaders but remained adamant about the referendum and kept his unpopular decree in place.

CAIRO - With tanks guarding his palace and officials defecting from his government, besieged Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Thursday offered a "national dialogue" with opposition leaders but refused to cancel a vote on a draft constitution that has ignited two weeks of political unrest. In a televised address, Morsi was adamant that a proposed charter written by an Islamist-dominated assembly would go to a referendum on Dec. 15. He also kept in place an unpopular decree that expanded his powers, blaming recent protest violence on "infiltrators," including those who this week attacked his motorcade.

CAIRO -- With tanks guarding his palace and officials defecting from his government, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi appeared besieged Thursday in a nation divided by deadly protests and an escalating political crisis he started two weeks ago when he seized near-absolute power. For the first time since they retreated to the barracks in August, soldiers from the Republican Guard strung barbed wire and parked tanks outside Morsi's office. The president's credibility has been further damaged by the resignations of six senior advisors and three other officials.