Cinema of Egypt

Last updated

Egyptian cinema
Egyptfilm.png
No. of screens 221 (2015) [1]
  Per capita0.4 per 100,000 (2010) [1]
Main distributors Misr International Films
Film Clinic
Oscar
Nasr
El Massah
Synergy
Cinema Masr
Sphinx
Studio Misr
United [2]
Produced feature films (2005–2009) [3]
Total42 (average)
Number of admissions (2015) [4]
Total9,561,000
Gross box office (2015) [4]
Total$267 million

The Egyptian film industry is today based mainly in Cairo, which is sometimes referred to as Hollywood on the Nile or Hollywood of the East, despite having its beginnings in the city of Alexandria in the early 20th century. [5] [6] A strong industry grew in Egypt with high distribution among the Arab world, and Cairo produces around three-quarters of the Arab world's screen output. It has had a large effect on the African and Arab film industry since the early 20th century. [7]

Contents

Cairo, considered a pioneer among African and Arab film industries. A sustained industry was able to emerge in Egypt with high distribution among the Arab World. Since 1896, over 4,000 films have been produced in Egypt. Egyptian films are typically spoken in the Egyptian Arabic dialect. Since 1976, the capital has held the annual FIAPF-accredited Cairo International Film Festival has been held annually, and there are many more film festivals held in Egypt. and there are many other film festivals held in Egypt.

History

Beginnings

The earliest projections by the Lumière brothers, using a Lumière cinematograph in Egypt took place on the 15 November 1896, at the Toussoun Exchange in Alexandria, afterwards, in Cairo on 28th November, which is less than one year after the first projection in Paris, on 28 December 1895. Egypt’s first cinema opened its doors in Alexandria in 1897.

Bishara Wakim in Barsoum Looking for a Job (1923) Barsoum Looking for a Job (1923 film) 04.jpg
Bishara Wakim in Barsoum Looking for a Job (1923)

A limited number of silent films were made starting from that date, starting with the first Egyptian film was released on 20 June 1907, a short documentary film about the visit of Khedive Abbas II to the Institute of Mursi Abul-Abbas in Alexandria. [8] In 1911, laws organizing film industry were enacted in Egypt. In 1917, the director Mohammed Karim established a production company in Alexandria. The company produced two films: Dead Flowers and Honor the Bedouin, which were shown in the city of Alexandria in early 1918. The year 1923 saw the publication of the first periodical review on film "Animated Images" by Mohamed Tawfik who was the owner and Editor in chief. In 1923, director Mohamed Bayoumi produced Barsoum Looking for a Job , starring Bishara Wakim. The first book on film "The Dawn of Cinema" was released in 1924, written by the director and researcher Mahmoud Khalil Rachid. [9]

Aziza Amir in Laila (1927) Aziza Amir in 'Laila' 1927.jpg
Aziza Amir in Laila (1927)

In 1925, the first large production company was established; the Egyptian Acting and Cinema Company, which belonged to the Misr Bank, which had been founded in the wake of the 1919 revolution by Talaat Harb. By 1926, 86 cinemas were operating in Egypt. [10] In 1927, Aziza Amir produced Laila (1927), the first feature-length Egyptian film in history. [11] The following years saw the production of films such as Why Is the Sea Laughing? by Stephan Rosti, Tragedy at the Pyramids by Ibrahim Lama, and others through the 1920s. Youssef Wahbi produced the 1930 film Zaynab starring Bahiga Hafez and based on the 1913 novel under the same name by Mohammed Hussein Heikal. Cairo's film industry became a regional force with the coming of sound. Between 1930 and 1936, various small studios produced at least 44 feature films. [12]

Talkies

In 1932, the first talkies were released in Egypt, with Mohammed Karim's Sons of Aristocrats starring Youssef Wahbi and Amina Rizk, to be the first sound film in Egypt, Africa and the Arab World. [13] Followed by 1932's The Song of the Heart , released in the same week. The first musical was produced in 1933; The White Rose , also directed by Karim , featuring popular Egyptian singer Mohamed Abdel Wahab in his film debut. The musical film became a major hit in Egypt throughout the 1930s and 1940s, with high distribution among the Arab world. [14] [15]

Publicity still for Sons of Aristocrats (1932), first Egyptian talkie Ewlad Elzawat.jpg
Publicity still for Sons of Aristocrats (1932), first Egyptian talkie

Several sound films were released in 1933, such as; The Marriage by Fatima Rushdi, Atone for Your Sin by Aziza Amir, The Night of a Lifetime by Mohamed Bayoumi, starring Amina Mohamed and Ahmad Farid, Enchanting Eyes by Ahmed Galal, starring Galal with Assia Dagher, The Accusation by Mario Volpe, starring Bahiga Hafez and Zaki Rostom. In 1934, Naguib El-Rihani starred in His Excellency Kechkech Bey, the sound version of the 1931 silent film of the same title.

Studio Misr

In 1935, Studio Misr, financed by industrialist Talaat Harb, emerged as the leading Egyptian equivalent to Hollywood's major studios, a role the company retained for three decades. [12] Historian Samir Kassir notes (2004) that Studio Misr (founded 1935) in particular, "despite their ups and downs, were to make Cairo the third capital of the world's film industry, after Hollywood and Bombay, but ahead of Italy's Cinecittà." [16]

Publicity still for Yahya el hub (1938) ModernEgypt, Poster of Yahya el hub, COV 319.jpg
Publicity still for Yahya el hub (1938)

Umm Kulthum starred in Weddad, her film debut in 1936, which was the first production of Studio Misr, the film was a hit in Egypt and the Arab world. Several films were released by the studio the best few years such as Salama Is Okay with Studio Misr in 1937, the film stars Naguib El-Rihani who was a theatre actor and starred in several comedy films in the 1930s. [17] [18]

Golden Age: 1940s–1960s

The 1940s, 1950s and the 1960s are generally considered the Golden Age of Egyptian cinema. In the 1950s, Egypt's cinema industry was the world's third largest. [19] [20] As in the West, films responded to the popular imagination, with most falling into predictable genres (happy endings being the norm), and many actors making careers out of playing strongly typed parts. In the words of one critic, "If an Egyptian film intended for popular audiences lacked any of these prerequisites, it constituted a betrayal of the unwritten contract with the spectator, the results of which would manifest themselves in the box office." [21]

Publicity still for Berlanti (1944) ModernEgypt, Poster of Berlanti, COV 325.jpg
Publicity still for Berlanti (1944)

In 1940, [22] the entrepreneur and translator Anis Ebeid established "Anis Ebeid Films", as the first subtitling company in Egypt and the rest of the Middle East, bringing hundreds of American and World movies to Egypt. Later he entered the movie distribution business too. [23] Egyptian cinema flourished in the 1940s, with the number of films produced increased to 16 films in the 1944–45 season. This was due to the entry of investments after World War II into the film industry, and greater purchasing power of citizens. From 1945 to 1951, production increased to 50 films per year. By 1949, there were 244 cinemas and five studios with 11 shooting areas.

Egyptian films played an important role in linking Arab society and marketing Egyptian culture. More than any other method, it spread the Egyptian dialect. This status was affected by the waves that occurred in Arab relations, sometimes strengthening and sometimes weakening them, which led to an ebb and flow in the distribution of Egyptian film in Arab countries. A boycott of Egyptian films occurred at intermittent periods in the 1950s.[ why? ][ citation needed ] In 1944, the Al-Ahram Studio was established in the Giza district of Cairo, and became one of the most prestigious film (and later TV) production studios in the Middle East, [24] [25] [26] in competition with Misr Studios. [27]

Faten Hamama, Egyptian film star Faten Hamama 1962.jpg
Faten Hamama, Egyptian film star

In the 1950s, Egypt ranked third in the world in number of films produced. [28] In 1950, Studio Misr produced the film Baba Aris, the first Egyptian film entirely in natural color, starring Naima Akef, Fouad Shafik, Camelia, and Shoukry Sarhan. In 1951, Mohamed Fawzi experimented with coloring two of his films: Love in Danger and The End of a Story. Unfortunately, the two films burned on their way from France to Egypt, and the black-and-white copies remained on Egyptian television. [29] It was said that Mohamed Fawzi was not satisfied with the quality. The colors in the first film were poor, so he had to re-shoot it, which caused him huge financial losses. In 1956, the film Dalila was produced in Scope colours, starring Abdel Halim Hafez and Shadia. Afterwards, many Egyptian-colored Egyptian films were produced on a limited basis in the 1950s and 1960s, and in the 1970s, specifically after the 1973 October War, colors became prevalent in most films.

Egyptian film stars (from right to left); Abdel Halim Hafez, Sabah, Ezz El-Dine Zulficar, Kawthar Shafik, and Mariam Fakhr Eddine attending Zulficar's birthday, 1959 Egyptian movie stars (1959).jpg
Egyptian film stars (from right to left); Abdel Halim Hafez, Sabah, Ezz El-Dine Zulficar, Kawthar Shafik, and Mariam Fakhr Eddine attending Zulficar's birthday, 1959

Political changes in Egypt after the overthrow of King Farouk in 1952 initially had little effect on Egyptian film. However the government under Gamal Abdel Nasser sought control over the industry after turning to socialism in the 1960s. [30] Egyptian cinema reacted quickly to the July 1952 revolution, political films encountering the foreign influence started to be produced with films talking about patriotism and nationalism were in demand at the time. Hussein Sedki presented the film Down with Colonialism a few months after the revolution, in a natural and automatic reaction to the idea of national enthusiasm that was existed at that time, especially since the film worked on the nature of colonialism and not the internal matter related to the corruption of parties as happened after that, and the national feeling was very important to remain present, especially during the period of armed struggle against English colonialism, which began before the 1952 revolution with the abolition of 1936 Treaty when it was canceled by El-Nahas Pasha in October 1951. The tone of the films that worked on the July Revolution increased, such as the film God is With Us in 1955, Ezz El-Dine Zulficar's Return My Heart in 1957. Other films were related to the feudal class and the pasha class, such as The Blazing Sun by Youssef Chahine, and the idea of corrupt, or otherwise pashas. The Egyptian cinema flourished in the 1950s.

Salah Zulfikar and Nadia Lutfi in Saladin the Victorious (1963) Nadialutfi&Salahzulfikar.jpg
Salah Zulfikar and Nadia Lutfi in Saladin the Victorious (1963)

In 1960, the Studio Misr was nationalised, and other studios soon followed, including Al-Ahram, along with distribution companies. [27] Only Studio Nasabian remained in private ownership. [31] In 1962, the Ministry of Culture and National Guidance took over the whole industry, causing inefficiencies and a drop in production and in film exports. [27] The General Cinema Foundation was established to produce feature films, which led to a decrease in the average number of films from 60 to 40 films per year, and by 1966 the number of theaters also decreased from 354 in 1954 to 255 houses. By 1966, the entire Egyptian film industry had been nationalized. In the words of Ahmed Ramzi, a leading man of the era, the cinema industry "went to the dogs". [32] In this era, an emerging generation of film stars came to prominence such as: Shoukry Sarhan, Soad Hosny, Salah Zulfikar, Rushdy Abaza, Nadia Lutfi, Faten Hamama, Omar Sharif, Kamal El-Shennawi, Shadia, Mariam Fakhr Eddine, Lobna Abdel Aziz, Abdel Halim Hafez, Huda Sultan, Hind Rostom, Farid Shawqi, Zubaida Tharwat, Ismail Yassine, Magda, Laila Fawzi, Ahmed Mazhar, and Sabah.

Nadia Lutfi in The Night of Counting the Years (1969) Nadia Lutfi in Al Mummia (1969).jpg
Nadia Lutfi in The Night of Counting the Years (1969)

Egyptian films shown in the 1960s can be divided into three sections: films that deal with the subject of poverty, raising the value of work, and praising socialist society, such as the film Soft Hands directed by Mahmoud Zulfikar, films that condemned opportunistic models and social diseases such as bribery, corruption, and theft crimes, such as Miramar, and films that dealt with issues of people's political participation, condemned negativity, and also addressed topics of democracy, connection to the land, and resistance, such as the film The Rains Dried. The "heavy government hand" that accompanied nationalization of Egyptian film "stifled innovative trends and sapped its dynamism". [21] However, most of the 44 Egyptian films featuring in the best 100 Egyptian films list of all time were produced during that period. Notable titles includes; The Night of Counting the Years , Aghla Min Hayati , Cairo Station, The Second Man, My Wife, the Director General , Saladin the Victorious , A Taste of Fear , The Postman, Back Again , Soft Hands , and The Land.

1970s

By the 1970s, Egyptian films struck a balance between politics and entertainment. Films such as 1972's Watch Out for ZouZou by Hassan El-Imam, starring "the Cinderella of Arab cinema", Soad Hosny, sought to balance politics and audience appeal. Zouzou integrated music, dance, and contemporary fashions into a story that balanced campus ferment with family melodrama.

Publicity still for Watch Out for ZouZou (1972) Suad Husni.jpg
Publicity still for Watch Out for ZouZou (1972)

The early 1970s was filled with films depicting the reasons behind Egypt's defeat in the 1967 War, especially the era between the defeat and the victory in the 1973 war. Films such as Hussein Kamal's Chitchat on the Nile in 1971, based on the 1966 book Adrift on the Nile by Naguib Mahfouz, the film encounters the society for the defeat. The reason behind the defeat was depicted in Thalal Ala al-Janib al-Akhar by Ghalib Shaath. Over 20 Another important films depicted the same issue, such as 1972's Dawn Visitor, which dealt with the excess security grip against opposition. The factors involved in this social and intellectual crisis were also treated in three important films of Youssef Chahine. In The Choice (1970), Chahine explores what he describes as the schizophrenia of the contemporary Arab intellectual, who on one hand is committed to romantic notions of the revolution and social change, and on the other is tied to personal selfish ambitions and goals, remnants of a colonial formation. In The Sparrow , which was not released by the censors until after the October War in 1973. Chahine reasserts his contention that the defeat was indeed internal, a product of the defects of the society itself [33] Other films were criticizing the Nasserist era such as the 1975 film Karnak , as well as We Are the Bus in 1979 and others. All of these films attempt to clarify Methods of suppressing opposition. [34]

Salah Zulfikar and Zubaida Tharwat in The Other Man (1973) ZubaidaTharwat&SalahZulfikar.jpg
Salah Zulfikar and Zubaida Tharwat in The Other Man (1973)

After the victory in the 1973 War, several films depicted the war and its prelude as well as the dramatic events that took place during the war such as The Bullet Is Still in My Pocket in 1974, as well as Badour and Sons of Silence, both released in 1974, and Life is a Moment in 1978. In Until the End of Life by Ashraf Fahmy, it dealt with a humanitarian angle away from battle scenes. [35] This decade saw light comedy films which performed well in the box-office such as 1974's In Summer We Must Love starring Salah Zulfikar, who starred in Virgo , and The Other Man in 1973, all of which were box-office hits. Also the Box-Office King Hassan El-Imam directed films such as the 1975's I Love This, I Want That and Truth Has a Voice in 1976.

In mid-1971, the General Cinema Foundation was liquidated and a public body was established that included cinema, theater and music. The Authority stopped film production, contenting itself with financing the private sector, and the state's role in cinema began to decline until it completely ended novel production. Only two companies remained with the state, one for studios and the other for distribution and theaters. However, the average number of films produced remained 40 films until 1974, then it rose to 50. films, and the number of theaters continued to decline until it reached 190 in 1977.

Mervat Amin 1980.jpg
Naglaa Fathi.jpg
Mervat Amin and Naglaa Fathi, stars of the 1970s

Notable 1970s titles include; Sunset and Sunrise , The Guilty , I Want a Solution , Whom Should We Shoot? , Alexandria... Why? , Shafika and Metwali . [36] Hassan Ramzi's 1975 Egyptian film Al-Rida’ al-Abyad was released in the Soviet Union in 1976, selling 61 million tickets in the country. This made it the highest-grossing foreign film of the year and the seventh highest-grossing foreign film ever in the Soviet Union. [37] [38] This also made it the highest-grossing Egyptian film of all time, with its Soviet ticket sales surpassing the worldwide ticket sales of all other Egyptian films, achieving revenue over $28,700,000 in 1975. [39]

Transitional period: 1980s–1990s

The 1980s saw the Egyptian film industry in decline; however, the industry saw huge box-office jumps. A new wave of young directors emerged who were able to overcome the prevailing production traditions and create serious cinema. They were called the Neo-Realism Movement or the generation of the eighties. From this generation were Atef El Tayeb, Khairy Beshara, Mohamed Khan, Raafat Al-Mihi, Ali Abdelkhalek and others.

Soad Hosny and Nour El Sherif in People on the Top (1981) A Shooting at the scene of "People on the Top" - 1981.jpg
Soad Hosny and Nour El Sherif in People on the Top (1981)

Also, a new generation of films stars such as: Ahmed Zaki, Nour El-Sherif, Adel Imam, Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, Nabila Ebeid, Nadia El Gendy, Yousra, Laila Elwi, Elham Shahin, and Sherihan, emerged during that period. In the 1980s, Egyptian cinema produced notable films, such as; The Shame, An Egyptian Story, The Bus Driver, The Peacock , The Innocent , The Collar and the Bracelet , A Moment of Weakness , The Wife of an Important Man , and Escape . In the mid-eighties, specifically at the beginning of 1984, the number of films produced suddenly increased to 63 films.

In the 1990s, However, with the rise of what came to be called "contractor movies". Actor Khaled El Sawy has described these as films "where there is no story, no acting and no production quality of any kind... basic formula movies that aimed at making a quick buck." the number of films produced also declined: from nearly 100 films a year in the industry's prime to about a dozen in 1995. This lasted until summer 1997, when Ismailia Rayeh Gayy (translation: Ismailia back and forth) shocked the cinema industry, enjoying unparalleled success and large profits for the producers, introducing Mohamed Fouad (a famous singer) and Mohamed Henedi, then a rather unknown actor who later became the number one comedian star. Building on the success of that movie, several comedy films were released in the following years.

Ahmed Zaki (third from left), and Youssef Chahine (first from right) attending the 14th Cairo International Film Festival, 1989 Abdel Baky at the Cairo International Film Festival.jpg
Ahmed Zaki (third from left), and Youssef Chahine (first from right) attending the 14th Cairo International Film Festival, 1989

The 1990s notable titles include; the industry presented notable films such as; Alexandria Again and Forever , War in the Land of Egypt , The Kit Kat , The Shepherd and the Women , Terrorism and Kebab , The Terrorist , Five-Star Thieves , Road to Eilat , The Emigrant , Nasser 56 , Destiny , Land of Fear, and The City. Since mid-1990s, Egypt's cinema has gone in separate directions. Smaller art films attract some international attention, but sparse attendance at home. Popular films, often broad comedies such as What A Lie! , and the extremely profitable works of comedian Mohamed Saad, battle to hold audiences either drawn to Western films or, increasingly, wary of the perceived immorality of film. [30]

21st century

Between 1896 and 2021, over 4,000 films were produced in Egypt. [40] With the beginning of the 21st century, a new generation of film stars appeared, the most famous of whom were Mona Zaki, Ahmed El Sakka, Menna Shalabi, Karim Abdel Aziz, Hend Sabry, Ghada Adel, Ahmed Ezz, Ahmed Helmy, Yasmine Abdulaziz, Mohamed Saad, Tamer Hosny, Mai Ezz Eldin, Nour, Hany Ramzy, Nelly Karim, Basma, and Dalia El Behery. They starred in many films and were able to achieve success and fame within a short period of time during that period.

Yousry Nasrallah, Egyptian film director Yousry Nasrallah C olivier barlet Manosque2010.jpg
Yousry Nasrallah, Egyptian film director

A few productions, such as 2003's Sleepless Nights, intertwined stories of four bourgeois couples [41] and 2006's Imarat Yacoubian (The Yacoubian Building) bridge this divide through their combination of high artistic quality and popular appeal.

In 2006, the film Leisure Time was released. A social commentary on the decline of Egyptian youth, the film was produced on a low budget and had attendant low production values. The film, however, became a success. Its controversial subject matter, namely, the sexual undertones in today's society, was seen as confirmation that the industry was beginning to take risks. A major challenge facing Egyptian and international scholars, students and fans of Egyptian film is the lack of resources in terms of published works, preserved and available copies of the films themselves, and development in Egypt of state and private institutions dedicated to the study and preservation of film.

Mona Zaki 2015.jpg
Ahmed Elsaqa in Dubai - ElMaslaha Premiere.jpg
Mona Zaki and Ahmed El Sakka, stars of the 2000s

The Egyptian National Film Centre (ENFC), which theoretically holds copies of all films made after 1961, is according to one Egyptian film researcher, "far from being a library, houses piles of rusty cans containing positive copies." [42] The year 2007, however, saw a considerable spike in the number of Egyptian films made. In 1997, the number of Egyptian feature-length films created was 16; 10 years later, that number had risen to 40. Box office records have also risen significantly, as Egyptian films earned around $50 million. [43] [44]

2010s

In the 2010s, new films stars entered the Egyptian box, such as: Ahmed Mekky, Ruby, Asser Yassin, Donia Samir Ghanem, Amina Khalil, Ahmed El-Fishawy, Mohamed Emam, Yasmin Raeis, Amr Saad, Hana El Zahed, Bayoumi Fouad, Maged El Kedwany, Amir Karara, Yasmine Sabri, Mohamed Ramadan, Dina El Sherbiny, Hesham Maged, Shiko, and Ahmed Fahmy. There are notable films released in this period, such as; 678 , Microphone , Asmaa , The Deal , Decor, Bebo and Beshir , TheBlue elephant, Excuse My French , Hepta, Gunshot, X-Large , Papa , After the Battle , Diamond Dust, TheBlue elephant 2, The Treasure, Sons of Rizk , The Originals , The Treasure 2, Sheikh Jackson , Casablanca, Sons of Rizk 2, 122, The Crime and others. [45]

During Eid al-Fitr (which is the season of new films in Egypt) for the year 2016, several films were shown in Egyptian theaters, many of them comedies, namely: Crash , Hell in India, Abu Shanab. The film 30 Years Ago was also shown, which is an action and drama film starring a large number of Egyptian artists, including: Ahmed El Sakka, Mona Zaki, Mervat Amin, Sherif Mounir, Nour in the starring roles. In 2017, many films were shown, including: The Cell, Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim , Emergency escape, Brooks, Meadows and Lovely Faces , Lucky Bank, and others. [46]

Overview

The Egyptian film industry is based mainly in Cairo, which is sometimes referred to as "Hollywood on the Nile". [47]

As of 2024, despite being in an economic crisis, Egypt produces three-quarters of the Arab world's screen output. [25]

Significance

Of the over 4,000 short and feature-length films made in MENA region between 1908 and 2007, more than three-quarters were Egyptian films. [48] [ page needed ] [49] Egypt is the most productive country in the Middle East and Africa in the field of film production, and the one with the most developed media system. [20]

Festivals

Since 1952, [50] Cairo has held the Egyptian Catholic Center for Cinema Festival [51] [52] It is the oldest film festival in the Middle East and Africa, and aims "to support filmmakimg that transects with human and moral values". [50]

Since 1976, Cairo has held the annual Cairo International Film Festival, which has been accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). [53]

Other film festivals held in Egypt include:

Studios

Notable film studios past and present in Egypt include:

Studio district in 2024

After the Al-Ahram fire in February 2024, questions were raised about public safety, with so many film studios grouped in a densely-populated residential area within the governorates of Cairo and Giza. These include(d) Galal, in the Hadayek Al-Qubba area, and Al-Ahram, The Nile, Misr, and Nahhas studios ib Al-Haram Street, in relatively close proximity, and Misk on Faisal Street. The Academy of Arts is also close by, in an area which was undeveloped agricultural land when the studios were constructed. The head of the Federation of Artistic Syndicates, director Omar Abdel Aziz, and other industry leaders, called on the government to give the matter high priority and to consider moving the studios out of urban areas. [68]

Notable people

Directors

Actors

Cinematographers

Film critics

Music composers

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faten Hamama</span> Egyptian actress and producer (1931–2015)

Faten Ahmed Hamama was an Egyptian film and television actress and film producer. She was the first wife of Ezz El-Dine Zulficar. She made her screen debut in 1939, when she was only seven years old. Her earliest roles were minor, but her activity and gradual success helped to establish her as a distinguished Egyptian actress. Later revered as an icon in Egyptian cinema. In 1996, nine of the films she starred in were included in the Top hundred films in the history of Egyptian cinema by the cinema critics of Cairo International Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandra Nashaat</span> Egyptian film director (born 1970)

Sandra Nashaat is an Egyptian film director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kal Naga</span> Egyptian actor (born 1966)

Kal Naga, is an Egyptian actor, director and producer. He is recognized primarily for his work in Egypt and the Middle East, but has increasingly ventured into American and British film and television roles. He started acting and directing plays and musicals in Egypt while studying theatre at The American University in Cairo. Beginning his professional acting career in 2000, Naga starred in several movies through the next decade with roles encompassing several genres, from musicals None but that! (2007), action Agamista (2007), ''Eyes Of A Thief'' (2014), thrillers Kashf Hesab (2007), art-house Heliopolis (2009), Villa 69 (2013), Decor (2014), and slapstick comedy Habibi Naêman (2008). Additionally, he has participated in several European film festivals, where he received a range of awards as an actor and producer. Since 2016, he has acted in several English-speaking roles, such as Tyrant on FX, History Channel's Vikings, and the BBC's TV mini-series The Last Post, and announced to appear in the upcoming Netflix Show Messiah 2019. In a film festival in 2016 that celebrated Arab film submissions to the Oscars, he was noted as being the most submitted actor in Arabic films submissions to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He is often tagged in western media as "Egypt's Brad Pitt", and he has also been described as "the next Omar Sharif" especially after his American debut movie Civic Duty in 2007. Chosen as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 2007, Naga played a pivotal role in child rights awareness, as well as the very first HIV awareness campaigns in Egypt and the Arab world, and participated in several international causes, including advocating for democracy in his home country Egypt. He is one of the most recognizable celebrity faces of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, taking part in mass demonstrations in Cairo that led to the removal of President Mubarak. He faced defamation campaigns against him by the state-owned media during the Mubarak era before the January 25th, 2011 revolution in Egypt, and several times again from the 2013 "coup d'etat" General Sisi government in Egypt in retaliation for his advocacy about the deterioration of human rights situation in Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Queeny</span> Lebanese actress and film producer (1913–2003)

Mary Queeny is the stage name of Mary Boutros Younis, was a Lebanese-born Egyptian actress and film producer.

<i>The Night of Counting the Years</i> 1969 Egyptian film

The Night of Counting the Years, also released in Egypt as The Mummy (Elmomya) (المومياء), is a 1969 Egyptian film and the only feature film directed by Shadi Abdel Salam. It features Nadia Lutfi in special appearance. It is the 3rd on the list of Top 100 Egyptian films. The film was produced by Roberto Rossellini for General Egyptian Cinema Organisation. Rossellini was instrumental in encouraging Abdel Salam to make the film, The Night of the Changing Years tells a story set among the grave robbers of Kurna in Upper Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salah Zulfikar</span> Egyptian actor and producer (1926–1993)

Salah El-Din Ahmed Mourad Zulfikar was an Egyptian actor and film producer. He started his career as a police officer in the Egyptian National Police, before becoming an actor in 1956. He is regarded as one of the most influential actors in the history of the Egyptian film industry. Zulfikar had roles in more than a hundred feature films in multiple genres during a 37-year career, mostly as the leading actor. He was one of the most dominant leading men in Egyptian cinema. He worked in theater throughout his career, playing celebrated theatrical roles. Late in his career, he had considerable success in television roles.

<i>Cairo Station</i> 1958 Egyptian film

Cairo Station, also called The Iron Gate, is a 1958 Egyptian crime-drama film directed by Youssef Chahine, written by Mohamed Abu Youssef and Abdel Hay Adib, and starring Farid Shawqi and Hind Rostom. The plot follows a newspaper salesman's dangerous obsession with a pretty young refreshments seller amidst a serial killer's spree through Cairo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmed Ezz (actor)</span> Egyptian actor

Ahmed Ezz Eldine Ali Ezzat, is an Egyptian film and television actor ," with numerous accolades in his professional career spanning over 20 years and over 30 Film/TV prolific credits to his name.. His popularity stems from his versatility as an actor in comedy, drama, thriller and action film and television. In 2022, he starred in the epic action drama "Kira & El Gin" which became the highest grossing film in the history of the Egyptian cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohamed Fawzi (musician)</span> Egyptian singer-songwriter, actor, filmmaker (1918–1966)

Mohamed Fawzi was an Egyptian singer-songwriter, actor, and filmmaker. He was a leading entertainer and impresario in the thriving musical film scene of Egypt in the 1940s and 1950s. He founded the El-Sharq El-Awsat record plant on April 30, 1959, and turned it into Sono Cairo /Sout El Qahira Records on January 6, 1964. Fawzi composed the music for "Kassaman", the Algerian national anthem, with lyrics by "poet of the Algerian Revolution" Moufdi Zakaria.

Niazi Mostafa was an Egyptian film director. Mostafa was born on 11 November 1911 in the city of Asyut, Khedivate of Egypt to a Sudanese father and Turkish mother. Mostafa would complete his university studies in Germany and joined the German Film Institute, he then returned to Egypt to work as an editor at Studio Misr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahmoud Abdel Aziz</span> Egyptian actor (1946–2016)

Mahmoud Abdel Aziz was an Egyptian film and television actor. He became famous for several famous roles in Egyptian cinema, before becoming famous in his native Egypt and the whole region for his Egyptian patriotic role in the Egyptian TV series Raafat el-Hagan. The Egyptian Actors Guild announced his death on the night of 12 November 2016.

The 2017–18 Egyptian Premier League was the 59th season of the Egyptian Premier League, the top Egyptian professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1948. The season started on 8 September 2017 and concluded on 20 May 2018. Fixtures for the 2017–18 season were announced on 30 August 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nadia Al-Gindi</span> Egyptian actress and producer

Nadia Elgendi is an Egyptian actress and producer. She is often known in Egypt as "Negmet El gamaheer" because of the high commercial success of her movies in the 1990s. Through her still on-going 6-decades career, she has appeared in 61 movies and 7 TV shows. She is most recognized for her femme fatale roles and spy movies related to Egyptian-Israeli conflict and patriotic issues after 1952 revolution, such as El Gasousa Hekmat Fahmy (1994), Mohemma Fi Tel Aviv (1992). Also, she is known for various crime movies, ranging from vulgar drug dealer in Egyptian suburbs to a professional thief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Studio Misr</span>

Studio Misr, also known as Studios Misr, is a film studio established in Giza, Egypt, in 1935 by the economist Talaat Harb. Owned and staffed by Egyptians, it is known as "The Studio of Egypt". For three decades, it was the Egyptian equivalent to Hollywood's major studios.

The 36th Cairo International Film Festival was held from November 9–18, 2014, including 17 films from ten Arab countries. Six films featured were nominated for the 87th Academy Awards the following year. The jury included four male and four female filmmakers representing the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe as well as the disciplines of direction, screenwriting, production, cinematography, and criticism, headed by Egyptian actress Yousra.

Road to Eilat is a 1994 Egyptian war film directed by Inaam Mohammed Ali and features Salah Zulfikar in a special appearance as Admiral Fouad Abu Zikry, the commander of Egyptian Navy. The film stars Ezzat El Alaili and Nabil Al-Halfawi. The film is Salah Zulfikar's final film role.

Kaboria is a 1990 Egyptian boxing film written by Issam Al-Shamaa and directed by Khairy Beshara The film stars Ahmed Zaki, Raghda and Hussein El-Imam.

Egyptian Acting and Cinema Company, or Sharikat misr lil-tamthil wa al-sinema, also known as Misr Company for Acting and Cinema (MCAC), was a film production company founded in 1925 by economist Talaat Harb. It was a prelude to Harb's establishment of Studio Misr.

<i>Berlanti</i> (film) 1944 film

Berlanti is a 1944 Egyptian drama film written, directed by and starring Youssef Wahbi and Nour Al Hoda.

References

  1. 1 2 "Table 8: Cinema Infrastructure – Capacity". UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  2. "Table 6: Share of Top 3 distributors (Excel)". UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  3. "Average national film production". UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Table 11: Exhibition – Admissions & Gross Box Office (GBO)". UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  5. IMDB, Actor Amir Karara is seen in a still from the film "No Surrender "- (7 April 2020). "Why returning to classics may mean success for Egyptian cinema - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East". www.al-monitor.com. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  6. Caravan, The (25 March 2016). "Is Egypt Still the 'Hollywood of the Middle East'?". The Caravan. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  7. Magazine, We See You (31 July 2020). "Egypt: Hollywood of the Middle East". We See You. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  8. Houissa, Ali. "LibGuides: Middle Eastern & North African Cinema & Film: Egyptian Cinema & Film". guides.library.cornell.edu. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  9. Houissa, Ali. "LibGuides: Middle Eastern & North African Cinema & Film: Egyptian Cinema & Film". guides.library.cornell.edu. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  10. festivaldecannes (9 February 2011). "INTRODUCTION TO EGYPTIAN CINEMA". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  11. "The Egyptian Women as a cinematic figure and her status in Film industry since 1920 and till now". wlahawogohokhra.com. 13 February 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 Darwish, Mustafa, Dream Makers on the Nile: A Portrait of Egyptian Cinema, The American University in Cairo Press, Cairo, 1998, Pp. 12–13.
  13. Awlad el zawat (1932) ⭐ 6.7 | Drama, Thriller , retrieved 24 March 2024
  14. Gaffney, Jane (1987). "The Egyptian Cinema: Industry and Art in a Changing Society". Arab Studies Quarterly. 9 (1): 53–75. ISSN   0271-3519.
  15. jburkepmc (13 August 2021). "A Century of Egyptian Cinema". Golden Globes. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  16. Kassir, Samir (2013). Being Arab. Verso. ISBN   978-1-84467-280-6. OCLC   866820842. (Originally published in 2004)
  17. "Top 100 Egyptian Films (CIFF)". IMDb. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  18. "Arab Film Distribution: Home Page - Films, Videos, and DVDs from the Arab World, Middle East, and North Africa". www.arabfilm.com. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  19. A.V. "The rise and fall of Egyptian Arabic". The Economist . Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  20. 1 2 Al-Mahdy, Dina (7 April 2020). "The golden age of Egyptian cinema". Ahram Online . Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  21. 1 2 Farid, Samir, "Lights, camera...retrospection" Archived 2013-05-11 at the Wayback Machine , Al-Ahram Weekly, December 30, 1999
  22. "LAFF – History of Cinema: Egypt". Archived from the original on 24 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  23. "Untitled Document". Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  24. 1 2 Tag, Nadine (19 March 2024). "Egypt's Public Prosecution Launches Investigation into Al-Ahram Studio Fire". Egyptian Streets. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  25. 1 2 3 "Egypt's Hollywood on the Nile film studio razed to ground in mystery fire". The Telegraph . 17 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  26. Van de Peer, S. (2017). Animation in the Middle East: Practice and Aesthetics from Baghdad to Casablanca. World Cinema. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 299. ISBN   978-1-78673-171-5 . Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  27. 1 2 3 Determann, J.M. (2020). Islam, Science Fiction and Extraterrestrial Life: The Culture of Astrobiology in the Muslim World. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 81,87. ISBN   978-0-7556-0130-1 . Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  28. Geisinger, Gabriella (21 March 2024). "Egypt's Al-Ahram studio destroyed by fire". Screen Daily . Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  29. السينما المصرية المعاصرة وتحولاتها في السنوات العشر الأخيرة: مجموعة أبحاث (in Arabic). المجلس الأعلى للثقافة،. 2008. ISBN   978-977-437-661-0.
  30. 1 2 Farid, Samir, "An Egyptian Story" Archived 2013-05-14 at the Wayback Machine , Al-Ahram Weekly, November 23–29, 2006
  31. "Revolution in Iran". Middle East Review. Special Studies. 12 (4). American Academic Association for Peace in the Middle East: 29. 1980. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  32. Khairy, Khaireya, "Ahmed Ramzi: rendezvous at the snooker club" Archived 2007-04-12 at the Wayback Machine , Al-Ahram Weekly, June 22, 2000
  33. Gaffney, Jane (1987). "The Egyptian Cinema: Industry and Art in a Changing Society". Arab Studies Quarterly. 9 (1): 53–75. ISSN   0271-3519.
  34. swissinfo.ch, S. W. I. (5 August 2007). "مائوية السينما المصرية.. بين تاريخ جلل وواقع مرير". SWI swissinfo.ch (in Arabic). Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  35. swissinfo.ch, S. W. I. (5 August 2007). "مائوية السينما المصرية.. بين تاريخ جلل وواقع مرير". SWI swissinfo.ch (in Arabic). Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  36. Anis, Mouna, "Before the public gaze" Archived 2003-05-10 at the Wayback Machine , Al-Ahram Weekly, June 28, 2001
  37. Sergey Kudryavtsev (4 July 2006). "Зарубежные фильмы в советском кинопрокате". LiveJournal (in Russian).
  38. "«Белое платье» (Al-Reda' Al-Abiad, 1973)". KinoPoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  39. "Советский кинопрокат – Империя наносит ответный удар". Krasnoyeznamya.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  40. De Souza, Noël (13 August 2021). "A Century of Egyptian Cinema". Golden Globes. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  41. "Sahar el Layali", The New York Times, 2004
  42. El-Assyouti, Mohamed, "Forgotten memories" Archived 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine , Al-Ahram Weekly, September 2, 1999
  43. "«2007»: صعود وهبوط في السينما المصرية ... ومفاجآت كبيرة وطفرة في الإنتاج". «2007»: صعود وهبوط في السينما المصرية ... ومفاجآت كبيرة وطفرة في الإنتاج. 2 January 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  44. "What are the 10 highest-grossing movies in the history of Egyptian cinema?". EgyptToday. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  45. "The Best Egyptian Films of the 2010s | Egyptian Streets". 26 December 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  46. Rashed, Mohamed (22 December 2019). "Our Picks for the Top 10 Egyptian Movies of the Decade!". Scoop Empire. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  47. "Egyptian Cinema: Hollywood on the Nile – Oxford Islamic Studies Online". Oxford Islamic Studies Online. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  48. Shafik, Viola (2007). Popular Egyptian Cinema: Gender, Class, and Nation. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-977-416-053-0.
  49. Houissa, Ali. "LibGuides: Middle Eastern & North African Cinema & Film: Egyptian Cinema & Film". guides.library.cornell.edu. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  50. 1 2 "The Catholic Film Festival: Ode to love and joy". Watani. 13 February 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  51. "The 69th edition of Egyptian Catholic Center for Cinema Festival will kick off on June 11". EgyptToday. 13 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  52. Essam, Angy (12 June 2021). "Egypt's 'Curfew' movie garners four awards from Egyptian Catholic Center for Cinema Festival". EgyptToday. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  53. Cairo Film Festival information Archived 2011-12-08 at the Wayback Machine .
  54. 1 2 3 4 Ramzy, Kamal (2018). "The Dream Factory: The Story of Studio Misr". Rawi. Retrieved 21 March 2024. This article was first published in print in RAWI's Issue 9, 2018
  55. 1 2 Cursino, Malu (16 March 2024). "Egypt's Al-Ahram film studio engulfed by fire". BBC Home. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  56. Mansour, Thaer (17 March 2024). "Egypt investigates fire at iconic Al-Ahram film studio". The New Arab. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  57. 1 2 3 4 5 Salama, Samir (3 November 2021). "Egypt: Fire guts iconic Nassibian Studio Theatre". Mena – Gulf News. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  58. 1 2 "Nassibian Studio". elCinema.com . Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  59. "Revolution in Iran". Middle East Review. Special Studies. 12 (4). American Academic Association for Peace in the Middle East: 29. 1980. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  60. 1 2 3 4 5 Hafez, Ahmed Abdel (18 July 2012). "A trip down memory lane". Egypt Independent. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  61. 1 2 3 Helmy, Samy; Queeny, Mary (1953). "Schaduf". Schaduf. Retrieved 22 March 2024. La Revue International du Cinéma, Numéro 16, 1953. This article was first published in print in RAWI's Issue 9, 2018
  62. "Ahmed Nader Galal". elCinema.com . Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  63. Issa, Rose (2 January 2004). "Obituary: Mary Queeny". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  64. Hillauer, R. (2005). Encyclopedia of Arab Women Filmmakers. American University in Cairo Press Series. American University in Cairo Press. p. 32. ISBN   978-977-424-943-3 . Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  65. El-Mazzaoui, Farid (1950). "Film in Egypt". Hollywood Quarterly. 4 (3). University of California Press: 245–250. ISSN   1549-0076. JSTOR   1209395 . Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  66. Ahmad Galal(1897-1947) at IMDb Note: Credited as Ahmed Galal.
  67. "Short History". Studio Nahas. 22 December 1946. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  68. 1 2 "Egypt: Film studios in crowded areas raise concerns". Look Around You (in Arabic). 18 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.

Further reading