Friday, May 9, Cairo, Egypt

The anxious anticipation that comes with hard work has just given over to pure, unadulterated excitement as we arrive at the Pyramids to check out the site where an expected 2,500 people will gather tomorrow evening for the live Pangea Day program. We can almost feel the presence of long ago civilizations here at the only remaining wonder of the truly ancient world. The production crew has been working hard for days, and their efforts are paying off. It’s an impressive sight and will be even more stunning tomorrow night with the giant screen alive with images and the Pyramids illuminated.

People watching the live program on television, the Internet, or at one of the many independently-organized Friends of Pangea Day events will join us here in Cairo, and join with the other live broadcast locations in Los Angeles, Mumbai, London, Kigali, and Rio de Janeiro… and we’ll be able to laugh, cry, and cheer together with people from all over the planet.

Locally, we’ll be celebrating with the friends and family of Egyptian-American filmmaker and Pangea Day creator, Jehane Noujaim as actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Khaled Abol Naga takes the stage here in Cairo as our host for the evening.

Everyone all abuzz because Egyptian pop star Mohamed Mounir is scheduled to perform. Kelly tied up her bandwidth earlier today downloading some of his songs.

As the crew puts the finishing touches on the buildout, continues to test and refine the technical aspects, and perfects the lighting on the pyramids, the idea that tomorrow we’ll be in this very place watching films / speakers / musicians at the same time with people across the globe is inspiring enough to give us chills even in the heat of the desert. We hope you’ll be watching with us, wherever you are.

-Pangea Day Team Members Kelly Stoetzel & Jennifer Trone

This Saturday, May 10, starting at 2 pm EST, you can watch 4 live hours of new films and documentaries, plus speakers and musicians, for free at PangeaDay.org

The films were selected from 2,500 submissions from more than 100 countries – and the winning films won out due to “their ability to inspire, transform, and allow us see the world through another person’s eyes.” The idea came from filmmaker Jehane Noujaim who won the TED Prize in 2006 for her goal to create a day in which the world came together through film.

The many who watch the films on the 10th will then be encouraged to join specific groups- among them – ONE.org.

Learn more about the films here, and how to watch the films online, on television or in movie theaters here.

Happy viewing.

-Virginia Simmons