Faten Hamama
Encyclopedia
Faten Hamama is an Egypt
ian producer
and an acclaimed actress of film
, television
, and theatre
. She was regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from melodrama
s to historical films and occasional comedies, though her chief successes were romantic dramas. Noted for her willingness to play serious characters, she has also acted in some controversial films in the history of Egyptian cinema.
Hamama 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. Eventually, and after many successful performances, she was able to achieve stardom. Revered as an icon in Egyptian and Middle Eastern cinema, Hamama has substantially helped in improving the cinema industry in Egypt and emphasizing the importance of women in cinema and Egyptian society.
After a seven-year hiatus from acting, Hamama returned in 2000 in what was a much anticipated television miniseries
, Wajh al-Qamar
(وجه القمر, Face of the Moon). She has not acted since then.
In 2000, Hamama was chosen as Star of the Century by the Egyptian Writer
s and Critic
s organization. In 2007, eight of the films she starred in were included in the top 100 films in the history of Egyptian cinema
by the cinema committee of the Supreme Council of Culture in Cairo.
lower middle class
family in Mansoura, Egypt (according to her birth certificate
), but she claims she was born in Cairo, in the Abdeen quarter. Her father, Ahmed Hamama, worked as a clerk in the Egyptian Ministry of Education and her mother was a housewife. She has an older brother, Muneer, a younger sister, Layla, and a younger brother, Mazhar. Her aspiration for acting arose at an early age. Hamama says she was influenced by Assia Dagher
as a child. When she was six years old, her father took her to the theater to see an Assia Dagher film; when the audience clapped for Assia, she told her father she felt they were clapping for her.
When she won a children's beauty pageant in Egypt, her father sent her picture to the director
Mohammed Karim
who was looking for a young female child to play the role of a small girl with the famous actor and musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab in the film Yawm Said
(يوم سعيد, Happy Day, 1939). After an audition, Abdel Wahab decided she was the one he was looking for. After her role in the film, people called her "Egypt's own Shirley Temple". The director liked her acting and was impressed with her so much that he signed a contract with her father. Four years later, she was chosen by Kareem for another role with Abdel Wahab in the film Rossassa Fel Qalb
(رصاصة في القلب, Bullet in the Heart, 1944) and in another film two years later, Dunya (دنيا, Universe, 1946). After her success, Hamama moved with her parents to Cairo
and started her study in the High Institute of Acting in 1946.
, a famous Egyptian director and actor, realized the young actress's talent so he offered her a lead role in the 1946 film Malak al-Rahma
(ملاك الرحمة, Angel of Mercy). The film attracted widespread media attention, and Hamama, who was only 15 at the time, became famous for her melodrama
tic role. In 1949, Hamama had roles in 3 films with Wahbi. Kursi Al-I'etraf (كرسي الاعتراف, Chair of Confession), Al-Yateematain
(اليتيمتين, The Two Orphans), and Sït Al-Bayt (ست البيت, Lady of the House) were all successful films.
The 1950s were the beginning of the golden age of the Egyptian cinema industry and Hamama was a big part of it. In 1952 she starred in the film Lak Yawm Ya Zalem (لك يوم يا ظالم, Your Day will Come) which was nominated in the Cannes Film Festival
for the Prix International award. She also played lead roles in Yousef Shaheen's Baba Ameen (بابا أمين, Ameen, my Father, 1950) and Sira' Fi Al-Wadi (صراع في الوادي, Struggle in the Valley, 1954) which was a strong nominee in the 1954 Cannes Film Festival for the Prix International award. Hamama is also known for playing the lead role in the first Egyptian mystery film Manzel Raqam 13 (منزل رقم 13, House Number 13). In 1963, she received an award for her role in the political film La Waqt Lel Hob (لا وقت للحب, No Time for Love). Hamama was also able to make it to Hollywood; in 1963 she had a role in the crime film, Cairo.
In 1947, Hamama married the actor and director Ezzel Dine Zulficar
while filming the Abu Zayd al-Hilali
(أبو زيد الهلالي) film. They started a production company which produced the film Maw'ed Ma' Al-Hayat (موعد مع الحياة, Date with Life) in which she starred. This particular film earned her the title of the "lady of the Arabic screen". She divorced al-Faqqar in 1954 and a year later, she married the Egyptian film actor Omar Sharif
. Hamama continued to act in films directed by her first husband.
In 1954, while filming a Youssef Chahine
film, Struggle in the Valley, Hamama refused to have the Egyptian actor Shukry Sarhan as a co-star, and Chahine offered Omar Sharif
the role. Omar had just graduated from college then and was working for his father; Hamama accepted him as her co-star. Hamama had never agreed to act any scene involving a kiss in her career, but she shockingly accepted to do so in this film. The two fell in love, and Omar Sharif converted to Islam and married her. This marriage started a new era of Hamama's career as the couple made many films together. Sharif and Hamama were the romantic leads of Ayyamna Al-Holwa (أيامنا الحلوة, Our Sweet Days), Ardh Al-Salam (أرض السلام, Land of Peace), La Anam (لا أنام, Sleepless), and Sayyidat Al-Qasr (سيدة القصر, The Lady of the Palace). Their last film together, before their divorce, was Nahr Al-Hob (نهر الحب, The River of Love) in 1960.
, but later became an opponent of the Free Officers and their oppressive regime. She said they were "asking her to cooperate" but she apologized and refused. As a consequence, she was forbidden to travel or participate in film festivals. She was only able to leave Egypt after many controversial disputes. She lived in Beirut
and London
during this period.
While she was away, then President Gamal Abdel Nasser
asked famous writers, journalists and friends to try to convince her to return to Egypt. He called her a "national treasure" and had even awarded her an honorary decoration in 1965. However, Hamama didn't return until 1971, after Abdel Nasser had died. Thereafter, she played roles conveying messages of democracy. She often criticized the laws in Egypt in her films. In the 1972 film Imbarotiriyat Meem (إمبراطورية ميم, The Empire of M), Hamama presented a prodemocratic point of view and received an award from the Soviet Union of Women in the Moscow
International Festival. Her most significant film was Oridu Hallan (أريد حلاً, I Need a Solution). In this film, she criticized the laws governing marriage
and divorce
in Egypt. After the film, the Egyptian government abrogated a law that forbade wives from divorcing their husbands, therefore allowing khul'.
After 1993, Hamama's career suddenly came to a halt. It was not until 2000 that she returned in the successful TV mini-series Wajh ِِal-Qamar which was broadcast on 23 TV channels in the Middle East. In this mini-series, Hamama portrayed and criticized many problems in Egyptian and Middle Eastern society. Despite some criticisms, the mini-series received much praise and acclaim. Hamama was awarded the Egyptian Best TV Actor of the Year and the mini-series won the Best TV Series Award in the Egyptian Radio and Television Festival. Hamama entered history as the highest paid actress in an Egyptian TV mini-series until 2006.
Before the 1950s, Hamama had leading roles in 30 films, in which she often played the role of a weak, empathetic, poor girl. After the 1950s, Hamama was in search of her real identity and was trying to establish herself as a distinct figure. During this period, her choice of material and roles was somewhat limited. However, film producers soon capitalised on her popularity with audiences in local and Middle Eastern markets and she began to play realistic, strong women, such as in Sira' Fi Al-Wadi (صراع في الوادي, Struggle in the Valley, 1954) where she portrayed a rich man's daughter who, contrary to stereotype, was a realistic woman who helped and supported the poor. In the 1952 film Miss Fatmah (الأستاذة فاطمة), Hamama starred as a law student who believed women were as important as men in society. In Imbratoriyat Meem (امبراطورية ميم, The Empire of M), she played the role of a widow who takes care of her large family and suffers hardship. These films helped in the portrayal of Egyptian women's problems in a society resistant to modernity. Her most influential film was Oridu Hallan (أريد حلا, I Need a Solution) which criticized the laws of marriage and divorce in Egypt. A law in Egypt that forbade Khul' ( خلع ) — a divorce initiated by the wife — was annulled immediately afterwards.
Most critics agree that Hamama's most challenging role was in the 1959 film Dua'e Al-Karawan (دعاء الكروان, The Nightingale's Prayer), which was chosen as one of the best Egyptian film productions. It is based on the novel
by the same name by the prominent Egyptian writer Taha Hussein. In this film, Hamama played the role of Amnah, a young woman who seeks revenge from her uncle for the honour killing of her sister. After this film, Hamama carefully picked her roles. In 1960, she starred in the film Nahr Hob (نهر حب, Love River) which was based on Leo Tolstoy
's well known novel Anna Karenina and in 1961, she played the lead role in the film La Tutf'e Al-Shams (لا تطفئ الشمس, Don't Turn Off the Sun) based on the novel by Ihsan Abdel Quddous
.
She admired the director Ezzel Dine Zulficar
, and while filming Abu Zayd al-Hilali (أبو زيد الهلالى) in 1947, which he directed, the two fell in love and got married. Their marriage lasted for seven years: they divorced in 1954. Hamama has said that her love for Zulficar was little more than a student's admiration and love for a teacher. The two remained friends, and Hamama even starred in his films after the divorce. They have one daughter, Nadia Zulficar.
In 1954, Hamama chose Omar Sharif
to co-star with her in a film. In this film, she uncharacteristically agreed to a romantic scene involving a kiss. During the filming, they fell in love. Sharif converted to Islam and married her. The couple co-starred in many films, their romantic relationship clearly evident on screen. However, after almost 20 years, they divorced in 1974. They have one son, Tarek Sharif.
Hamama later married Dr. Mohamed Abdel Wahab Mahmoud, a successful doctor in Egypt. Having learned from experience, this time Hamama decided to keep her personal life private. She rarely appears with him publicly or mentions him in interviews. They currently reside in Cairo.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and an acclaimed actress of film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. She was regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
s to historical films and occasional comedies, though her chief successes were romantic dramas. Noted for her willingness to play serious characters, she has also acted in some controversial films in the history of Egyptian cinema.
Hamama 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. Eventually, and after many successful performances, she was able to achieve stardom. Revered as an icon in Egyptian and Middle Eastern cinema, Hamama has substantially helped in improving the cinema industry in Egypt and emphasizing the importance of women in cinema and Egyptian society.
After a seven-year hiatus from acting, Hamama returned in 2000 in what was a much anticipated television miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, Wajh al-Qamar
Wajh al-Qamar
Wajh al-Qamar is a 2001 Egyptian TV soap opera mini-series. It was broadcast in the month of Ramadan on 23 Arabic TV channels. The series was hyped by the media, mainly because it marked the return of Egyptian actress Faten Hamama. An episode was aired everyday for 35 days. It was directed by...
(وجه القمر, Face of the Moon). She has not acted since then.
In 2000, Hamama was chosen as Star of the Century by the Egyptian Writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
s and Critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
s organization. In 2007, eight of the films she starred in were included in the top 100 films in the history of Egyptian cinema
Cinema of Egypt
The cinema of Egypt refers to the flourishing Egyptian Arabic-language film industry based in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Since 1976, Cairo has held the annual Cairo International Film Festival, which has been accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations. There is also...
by the cinema committee of the Supreme Council of Culture in Cairo.
Early life and career
Faten Hamama was born to a MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
lower middle class
Lower middle class
In developed nations across the world, the lower middle class is a sub-division of the greater middle class. Universally the term refers to the group of middle class households or individuals who have not attained the status of the upper middle class associated with the higher realms of the middle...
family in Mansoura, Egypt (according to her birth certificate
Birth certificate
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensuing registration of that birth...
), but she claims she was born in Cairo, in the Abdeen quarter. Her father, Ahmed Hamama, worked as a clerk in the Egyptian Ministry of Education and her mother was a housewife. She has an older brother, Muneer, a younger sister, Layla, and a younger brother, Mazhar. Her aspiration for acting arose at an early age. Hamama says she was influenced by Assia Dagher
Assia Dagher
Assia Dagher was a Lebanese actress and film producer. She lived in Egypt.-Biography:Dagher was born in Lebanon in 1912. She moved to Cairo with her sister Mary, and niece Mary Queeny. She stayed with Asaad Dagher, her cousin, who was a writer and journalist at the famous Al-Ahram newspaper. She...
as a child. When she was six years old, her father took her to the theater to see an Assia Dagher film; when the audience clapped for Assia, she told her father she felt they were clapping for her.
When she won a children's beauty pageant in Egypt, her father sent her picture to the director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Mohammed Karim
Mohammed Karim
Mohammed Karim was an Egyptian film director, writer, and producer. Karim brought Faten Hamama to fame in the movie Yawm Said. His 1946 film Dunia was entered into the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. -External links:...
who was looking for a young female child to play the role of a small girl with the famous actor and musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab in the film Yawm Said
Yawm Said
Yawm Sa'id is a 1939 Egyptian drama film directed by Mohammed Karim and starring Egyptian actor and musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab. This was also the first movie that Faten Hamama, who was only eight years old then, had acted in.- Plot :...
(يوم سعيد, Happy Day, 1939). After an audition, Abdel Wahab decided she was the one he was looking for. After her role in the film, people called her "Egypt's own Shirley Temple". The director liked her acting and was impressed with her so much that he signed a contract with her father. Four years later, she was chosen by Kareem for another role with Abdel Wahab in the film Rossassa Fel Qalb
Rossassa Fel Qalb
Rossassa Fel Qalb was a 1944 Egyptian drama film directed by Mohammed Karim starring Egyptian actresses Raqiya Ibrahim, Faten Hamama, musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab and actor Seraj Munir. It is based on a novel by Tewfik El-Hakim.- Plot :...
(رصاصة في القلب, Bullet in the Heart, 1944) and in another film two years later, Dunya (دنيا, Universe, 1946). After her success, Hamama moved with her parents to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and started her study in the High Institute of Acting in 1946.
Career
Youssef WahbiYoussef Wahbi
Youssef Wahbi was an Egyptian stage and film actor and director, a leading star of the 1930s and '40s and one of the most prominent Arab stage actors of any era. He was born to a high state official in Egypt but renounced his family's wealth and traveled to Rome in the 1920s to study theatre...
, a famous Egyptian director and actor, realized the young actress's talent so he offered her a lead role in the 1946 film Malak al-Rahma
Malak al-Rahma
The Angel of Mercy is a 1946 Egyptian drama film directed and written by Youssef Wahbi. It stars Wahbi, Faten Hamama, Raqiya Ibrahim, Farid Shawqi, and Nejma Ibrahim.- Plot :...
(ملاك الرحمة, Angel of Mercy). The film attracted widespread media attention, and Hamama, who was only 15 at the time, became famous for her melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
tic role. In 1949, Hamama had roles in 3 films with Wahbi. Kursi Al-I'etraf (كرسي الاعتراف, Chair of Confession), Al-Yateematain
Al-Yateematain
Al-Yateematain is a 1949 Egyptian drama film written by Abo El Seoud El Ebiary directed by Hassan Al Imam starring Egyptian actress Faten Hamama...
(اليتيمتين, The Two Orphans), and Sït Al-Bayt (ست البيت, Lady of the House) were all successful films.
The 1950s were the beginning of the golden age of the Egyptian cinema industry and Hamama was a big part of it. In 1952 she starred in the film Lak Yawm Ya Zalem (لك يوم يا ظالم, Your Day will Come) which was nominated in the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
for the Prix International award. She also played lead roles in Yousef Shaheen's Baba Ameen (بابا أمين, Ameen, my Father, 1950) and Sira' Fi Al-Wadi (صراع في الوادي, Struggle in the Valley, 1954) which was a strong nominee in the 1954 Cannes Film Festival for the Prix International award. Hamama is also known for playing the lead role in the first Egyptian mystery film Manzel Raqam 13 (منزل رقم 13, House Number 13). In 1963, she received an award for her role in the political film La Waqt Lel Hob (لا وقت للحب, No Time for Love). Hamama was also able to make it to Hollywood; in 1963 she had a role in the crime film, Cairo.
In 1947, Hamama married the actor and director Ezzel Dine Zulficar
Ezzel Dine Zulficar
Ezzel Dine Zulficar was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer.- Career :Zulficar was born in Cairo, Egypt. As a child, Zulficar was a prodigy. He received a scholarship and studied astronomy. He loved reading, which is what had helped him succeed. He graduated from the...
while filming the Abu Zayd al-Hilali
Abu Zayd al-Hilali (film)
Abu Zayd al-Hilali is a 1947 Egyptian film that portrays the life of the tenth-century Arabic leader and hero Abu Zayd al-Hilali. It was directed by Ezzel Dine Zulficar and written by Zulficar and Abu Butheina. It stars Faten Hamama, Seraj Munir, and Amina al-Sharif...
(أبو زيد الهلالي) film. They started a production company which produced the film Maw'ed Ma' Al-Hayat (موعد مع الحياة, Date with Life) in which she starred. This particular film earned her the title of the "lady of the Arabic screen". She divorced al-Faqqar in 1954 and a year later, she married the Egyptian film actor Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
. Hamama continued to act in films directed by her first husband.
In 1954, while filming a Youssef Chahine
Youssef Chahine
Youssef Chahine was an Egyptian film director active in the Egyptian film industry since 1950. He was credited with launching the career of actor Omar Sharif...
film, Struggle in the Valley, Hamama refused to have the Egyptian actor Shukry Sarhan as a co-star, and Chahine offered Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
the role. Omar had just graduated from college then and was working for his father; Hamama accepted him as her co-star. Hamama had never agreed to act any scene involving a kiss in her career, but she shockingly accepted to do so in this film. The two fell in love, and Omar Sharif converted to Islam and married her. This marriage started a new era of Hamama's career as the couple made many films together. Sharif and Hamama were the romantic leads of Ayyamna Al-Holwa (أيامنا الحلوة, Our Sweet Days), Ardh Al-Salam (أرض السلام, Land of Peace), La Anam (لا أنام, Sleepless), and Sayyidat Al-Qasr (سيدة القصر, The Lady of the Palace). Their last film together, before their divorce, was Nahr Al-Hob (نهر الحب, The River of Love) in 1960.
Controversy in the late 1960s
Hamama left Egypt from 1966 to 1971 because she was being continuously harassed by Egyptian Intelligence. Initially, Hamama had been a supporter of the 1952 Revolution1952 Revolution
The Egyptian Revolution of 1952 , also known as the 23 July Revolution, began on 23 July 1952, with a military coup d'état by the Free Officers Movement, a group of army officers led by Muhammad Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser. The revolution was initially aimed at overthrowing King Farouk...
, but later became an opponent of the Free Officers and their oppressive regime. She said they were "asking her to cooperate" but she apologized and refused. As a consequence, she was forbidden to travel or participate in film festivals. She was only able to leave Egypt after many controversial disputes. She lived in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
during this period.
While she was away, then President Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
asked famous writers, journalists and friends to try to convince her to return to Egypt. He called her a "national treasure" and had even awarded her an honorary decoration in 1965. However, Hamama didn't return until 1971, after Abdel Nasser had died. Thereafter, she played roles conveying messages of democracy. She often criticized the laws in Egypt in her films. In the 1972 film Imbarotiriyat Meem (إمبراطورية ميم, The Empire of M), Hamama presented a prodemocratic point of view and received an award from the Soviet Union of Women in the Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
International Festival. Her most significant film was Oridu Hallan (أريد حلاً, I Need a Solution). In this film, she criticized the laws governing marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
and divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
in Egypt. After the film, the Egyptian government abrogated a law that forbade wives from divorcing their husbands, therefore allowing khul'.
Late career
As Hamama became older, her acting roles declined and she made fewer films compared to earlier in her career, but nevertheless her films were successful. She also made her first TV appearances in her late career. She starred in the TV mini-series Dameer Ablah Hikmat (ضمير أبلة حكمت, Mrs. Hikmat's Conscience) and was quite successful in her first TV performance.After 1993, Hamama's career suddenly came to a halt. It was not until 2000 that she returned in the successful TV mini-series Wajh ِِal-Qamar which was broadcast on 23 TV channels in the Middle East. In this mini-series, Hamama portrayed and criticized many problems in Egyptian and Middle Eastern society. Despite some criticisms, the mini-series received much praise and acclaim. Hamama was awarded the Egyptian Best TV Actor of the Year and the mini-series won the Best TV Series Award in the Egyptian Radio and Television Festival. Hamama entered history as the highest paid actress in an Egyptian TV mini-series until 2006.
Accomplishments in Egyptian cinema
When Hamama started her acting career women were commonly displayed in Egyptian films as unrealistic and bourgeois, spending most of their time chasing (or being chased by) men. It was also customary for an actress to be shown as a sex object. In the beginnings of Egyptian cinema, the casting of female characters was limited to famous singers, dancers or stage actresses. But Faten Hamama was neither a singer nor a dancer, and she had little experience on stage. In spite of that, she was able to magnetize film directors and producers as well as her audiences, which is why she was successful in many of her films.Most critics agree that Hamama's most challenging role was in the 1959 film Dua'e Al-Karawan (دعاء الكروان, The Nightingale's Prayer), which was chosen as one of the best Egyptian film productions. It is based on the novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by the same name by the prominent Egyptian writer Taha Hussein. In this film, Hamama played the role of Amnah, a young woman who seeks revenge from her uncle for the honour killing of her sister. After this film, Hamama carefully picked her roles. In 1960, she starred in the film Nahr Hob (نهر حب, Love River) which was based on Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
's well known novel Anna Karenina and in 1961, she played the lead role in the film La Tutf'e Al-Shams (لا تطفئ الشمس, Don't Turn Off the Sun) based on the novel by Ihsan Abdel Quddous
Ihsan Abdel Quddous
Ihsan Abdel Quddous was an Egyptian writer, novelist, and journalist and editor in the Al Akhbar and Al-Ahram newspapers. He is known to have written many novels that have been adapted in films....
.
Personal life
Though Hamama has lived most of her life in Egypt, she was forced to live in London and Lebanon for several years due to problems in the late 1960s in Egypt.She admired the director Ezzel Dine Zulficar
Ezzel Dine Zulficar
Ezzel Dine Zulficar was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer.- Career :Zulficar was born in Cairo, Egypt. As a child, Zulficar was a prodigy. He received a scholarship and studied astronomy. He loved reading, which is what had helped him succeed. He graduated from the...
, and while filming Abu Zayd al-Hilali (أبو زيد الهلالى) in 1947, which he directed, the two fell in love and got married. Their marriage lasted for seven years: they divorced in 1954. Hamama has said that her love for Zulficar was little more than a student's admiration and love for a teacher. The two remained friends, and Hamama even starred in his films after the divorce. They have one daughter, Nadia Zulficar.
In 1954, Hamama chose Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
to co-star with her in a film. In this film, she uncharacteristically agreed to a romantic scene involving a kiss. During the filming, they fell in love. Sharif converted to Islam and married her. The couple co-starred in many films, their romantic relationship clearly evident on screen. However, after almost 20 years, they divorced in 1974. They have one son, Tarek Sharif.
Hamama later married Dr. Mohamed Abdel Wahab Mahmoud, a successful doctor in Egypt. Having learned from experience, this time Hamama decided to keep her personal life private. She rarely appears with him publicly or mentions him in interviews. They currently reside in Cairo.
Awards won
Throughout Hamama's career, she has won many awards for her acting roles:- First Prize of Acting in BeirutBeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
for Irham Dmoo'i (Have Mercy) (1954) - Prize of Acting from the Egyptian Ministry of Guidance for her role in Irham Dmoo'i (1955)
- Prizes of Acting from the Egyptian Catholic Center for Cinema for her role in Al-Tareeq al-Masdood (The Barred Road) and Hatta Naltaqi (Until We Meet) (1958)
- Prize of Acting from the Egyptian Ministry of Guidance for her role in Doaa al-Karawan (The Nightingale's Prayer) (1961)
- First Prize of Acting from the National State Award for the film Al Leila Al Akhira (The Last Night) (1965)
- Special Award for her role in the film Al-Kheit al-Rafee (The Thin Thread) in the first TehranTehranTehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
International Film Festival (1972) - Special Award from the Soviet Union of Women for the film Empire M in the Moscow International Film FestivalMoscow International Film FestivalMoscow International Film Festival , is the film festival first held in Moscow in 1959. From its inception to 1995 it was held every second year in July, alternating with the Karlovy Vary festival. The festival has been held annually since 1995....
(1973) - A Diploma of Honor and the Diploma of Recognition for her role and the idea for Oridu Hallan (I Need a Solution) in the third Tehran International Film Festival (1974)
- The Organization of Film Critics and Writers' Prize of Recognition for her role in Oridu Hallan (1975)
- The Prize of Excellence in the Festival of Egyptian Films for her role in Oridu Hallan (1976)
- Best Actress Award from the Tehran International Film festival for her role in Afwah Wa Araneb (Mouths and Rabbits) (1977)
- Golden NefertitiNefertitiNefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for a religious revolution, in which they started to worship one god only...
Award from the Second Cairo International Film FestivalCairo International Film FestivalThe Cairo International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cairo, Egypt. It was established in 1976 and was the first international film festival held in the Arab world...
for her role in Afwah Wa Araneb (1977) - Lebanese Golden Order of Merit for her role in the film Leilet Al Qabd Ala Fatma (The Night of Fatma's Arrest) (1984)
- Prize of Recognition and Life Achievement Award from the Organization of Cinematic Art for her role in the film Leilet Al Qabd Ala Fatma (1984)
- Best Actress Award in the CarthageCarthageCarthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
International Film Festival in TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
for her role in Yawm Mur Yawm Hilw (Bitter Days.. Nice Days) (1988) - Best Artistic Achievement Award in the Cairo International Festival (1991)
- Lifetime Achievement Award in the Montpelier Mediterranean Film Festival (1993)
- Best Actress award in the Cairo International Festival for her contributions to the Egyptian Cinema where 18 of her films were selected amongst the best 150 films ever made until 1996 during the celebration of 100 years of cinema (1996)
- Award from The Radio and Television Festival for her role in Wajh al-Qamar (2001)
Honors
Hamama was also honored on several occasions:- Decoration of Creativity of first degree from the Lebanese prime minister Prince Khaled Shehab (1953)
- Decoration of Republic of first degree for Art from president Gamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
(1965) - Decoration of State of the first order from President Mohamed Anwar SadatAnwar SadatMuhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
during first Art festival (1976) - Honorary award from the Egyptian National Festival for Cinema for her long distinguished cinematic career (1995)
- PhD from the American University in CairoAmerican University in CairoThe American University in Cairo is an independent, non-profit, apolitical, secular institution of higher learning located in Cairo, Egypt...
(1999) - Lifetime achievement award as the Star of the Century in Egyptian cinema at the AlexandriaAlexandriaAlexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
International Film Festival (2001) - Decoration of "Al-Arz" (Lebanese CedarLebanon CedarCedrus libani is a species of cedar native to the mountains of the Mediterranean region.There are two distinct types that are considered to be different subspecies or varieties. Lebanon cedar or Cedar of Lebanon Cedrus libani is a species of cedar native to the mountains of the Mediterranean...
) from LebaneseLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
President Émile LahoudÉmile LahoudGeneral Émile Jamil Lahoud is a former President of Lebanon. Lahoud is a Maronite-Catholic, as is required for the Lebanese presidency. Under Lebanon's unwritten constitutional agreement, the National Pact, the presidency is earmarked for Maronite_Catholic, the parliament speaker's post for a Shia...
(2001) - Decoration of Competence and Creation from King Mohamed El Hassan the Sixth of MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
(2001)
Selected filmography
| Year | International Title | Arabic Title | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Happy Day Yawm Said Yawm Sa'id is a 1939 Egyptian drama film directed by Mohammed Karim and starring Egyptian actor and musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab. This was also the first movie that Faten Hamama, who was only eight years old then, had acted in.- Plot :... |
Yawm Said, يوم سعيد | Aneesa |
| 1944 | Bullet in the Heart Rossassa Fel Qalb Rossassa Fel Qalb was a 1944 Egyptian drama film directed by Mohammed Karim starring Egyptian actresses Raqiya Ibrahim, Faten Hamama, musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab and actor Seraj Munir. It is based on a novel by Tewfik El-Hakim.- Plot :... |
Rossassa Fel Qalb, رصاصة في القلب | Najwah |
| 1946 | Angel of Mercy Malak al-Rahma The Angel of Mercy is a 1946 Egyptian drama film directed and written by Youssef Wahbi. It stars Wahbi, Faten Hamama, Raqiya Ibrahim, Farid Shawqi, and Nejma Ibrahim.- Plot :... |
Malak al-Rahma, ملاك الرحمة | Thoraya |
| 1947 | Abu Zayd al-Hilali Abu Zayd al-Hilali (film) Abu Zayd al-Hilali is a 1947 Egyptian film that portrays the life of the tenth-century Arabic leader and hero Abu Zayd al-Hilali. It was directed by Ezzel Dine Zulficar and written by Zulficar and Abu Butheina. It stars Faten Hamama, Seraj Munir, and Amina al-Sharif... |
Abu Zayd al-Hilali, أبو زيد الهلالي | Caliph's daughter |
| 1948 | The Small Millionaire Al-Millionairah al-Saghirah Al-Millionairah al-Saghirah is an Egyptian 1948 drama film directed and written by Kamal Barakat. It stars Rushdy Abaza and Faten Hamama.- Plot :... |
Al-Millionairah al-Saghirah, المليونيرة الصغيرة | Pilot's girlfriend |
| Immortality Khulood Khulood is an Egyptian 1948 romance film. It starred Faten Hamama, Kamal al-Shennawi, and Ezzel Dine Zulficar, who also directed and wrote the film. It is the only movie that Zulficar has acted in.-Plot:... |
Khulood, خلود | Laila / Amal | |
| The Two Orphans Al-Yateematain Al-Yateematain is a 1949 Egyptian drama film written by Abo El Seoud El Ebiary directed by Hassan Al Imam starring Egyptian actress Faten Hamama... |
Al-Yateematain, اليتيمتين | Ne`mat | |
| Towards Glory Nahwa al-Majd Nahwa al-Majd is an Egyptian 1949 romance film starring Faten Hamama, Kamal Al-Shennawi, and Hussein Sedqi, who also directed the movie.- Plot :... |
Nahwa al-Majd, نحو المجد | Suhair | |
| 1949 | Chair of Confession Kursi al-I`tiraf Kursi al-I`tiraf is a 1949 Egyptian crime/drama film. It starred Faten Hamama, Fakher Fakher, Abdel Alim Khattab, and Youssef Wahbi, who also directed the movie and wrote its script... |
Kursi al-I`tiraf, كرسي الاعتراف | Phileberta |
| Lady of the House Sitt al-Bayt Sitt al-Bayt is a 1949 Egyptian drama film. It starred Faten Hamama, Imad Hamdi, and Zeinab Sedky. The film, which was written by Abo El Seoud El Ebiary and directed by Ahmed Morsi, was nominated for the Prix International Award in the Cannes International Film Festival.- Plot :Elham marries... |
Sitt al-Bayt, ست البيت | Elham | |
| Every House Has a Man Kul Bayt Lahu Rajel Kul Bayt Lahu Rajel is a 1949 Egyptian drama film. It starred Abdel Alim Khattab, Faten Hamama, Mahmoud El Meliguy, and Amina Rizk. The film was directed by Ahmed Morsi.... |
Kul Bayt Lahu Rajel, كلّ بيت له راجل | Faten | |
| 1951 | Son of the Nile | Ibn al-Nile, ابن النيل | Zebaida |
| Your Day Will Come Lak Yawm Ya Zalem Lak Yawm Ya Zalem is a classic 1951 Egyptian drama film directed by Salah Abouseif. It starred Faten Hamama, Mahmoud el-Meliguy, Mohammed Tawfik and Mohsen Sarhan and was chosen as one of the best 150 Egyptian film productions in 1996, during the Egyptian Cinema centennial... |
Lak Yawm Ya Zalem, لك يوم يا ظالم | Ne`mat | |
| I'm The Past Ana al-Madi Ana al-Madi is a classic 1951 Egyptian crime film. The film was written and directed by Ezzel Dine Zulficar. It starred Imad Hamdi, Zaki Rostom, Farid Shawqi, and Faten Hamama.- Plot :... |
Ana al-Madi, أنا الماضي | Elham's daughter | |
| 1952 | House Number 13 Al-Manzel Raqam 13 Al-Manzel Raqam 13 or Al-Manzel Raqam Talata`sh is a classic 1952 Egyptian mystery/crime film directed by Kamal El Sheikh. It starred Faten Hamama, Mahmoud El Meliguy, and Imad Hamdi and was chosen as one of the best 150 Egyptian film productions in 1996, during the Egyptian Cinema centennial.-... |
Al-Manzel Raqam 13, المنزل رقم 13 | Nadia |
| Immortal Song Lahn al-Kholood Immortal Song is a 1952 Egyptian romance/drama film directed by Henry Barakat. It stars Farid Al Atrache, Faten Hamama, Majda, Madiha Yousri, and Seraj Munir.- Plot :... |
Lahn al-Kholood, لحن الخلود | Wafa' | |
| Miss Fatimah Al-Ustazah Fatimah Al-Ustazah Fatimah is a 1952 Egyptian comedy film directed by Fatin Abdel Wahab. It starred Kamal Al-Shennawi and Faten Hamama and was written by Ali El Zorkani.- Plot :... |
Al-Ustazah Fatimah, الأستاذة فاطمة | Fatimah | |
| 1953 | A`isha A`isha (film) A`isha is a 1953 Egyptian drama film directed by Gamal Madkoor. It starred Zahrat El-Ola, Zaki Rostom, and Faten Hamama.- Plot :A rich man meets a poor woman, A`isha, who sells lottery tickets in the streets. He is shocked at how her appearance resembles that of his recently deceased daughter.... |
A`isha, عائشة | A'isha |
| Date with Life Maw`ed Ma` al-Hayat Maw`ed Ma` al-Hayat is a 1953 Egyptian drama film directed and co-written by Ezzel Dine Zulficar. It starred Shukry Sarhan, Shadia, and Faten Hamama.- Plot :... |
Maw`ed Ma` al-Hayat, موعد مع الحياة | Amal | |
| 1954 | Pity My Tears Irham Dmoo`i Irham Dmoo`i is a 1954 Egyptian drama film directed by Henry Barakat. It starred Shukry Sarhan, Rushdy Abaza, and Faten Hamama. The film received awards from the Egyptian Ministry of Guidance and the Lebanese film ceremony.- Plot :... |
Irham Dmoo`i, ارحم دموعي | Amal |
| Traces in the Sand Athar Fi al-Rimal Athar Fi al-Rimal is a 1954 Egyptian drama film directed by Gamal Madkoor. It starred Imad Hamdi and Faten Hamama.Faten Hamama plays Ragia, a woman who helps Ibrahim retain his memory and tell the story of his sister's death.... |
Athar Fi al-Rimal, أثار في الرمال | Ragia | |
| The Unjust Angel Al-Malak al-Zalem Al-Malak al-Zalem is a 1954 Egyptian crime/drama film. It starred Kamal Al-Shennawi, Seraj Munir, Faten Hamama, and Mahmoud el-Meliguy.- Plot :... |
Al-Malak al-Zalem, الملاك الظالم | Nadia | |
| Always with You Dayman Ma`ak Dayman Ma`ak is a 1954 Egyptian musical comedy romance film directed and co-written by Henry Barakat and starring Muhammad Fawzi, Salah Nazmi, Faten Hamama, and Abdel Waress Assar.- Plot :... |
Dayman Ma`ak, دائما معاك | Tefeeda | |
| Date with Happiness Maw`ed Ma` al-Sa`adah Appointment with Happiness is a 1954 Egyptian romance/drama film directed by Ezzel Dine Zulficar. It starred Imad Hamdi and Faten Hamama. This film received an award from the Egyptian Catholic Centre... |
Maw`ed Ma` al-Sa`adah, موعد مع السعادة | Ehsan / Amal | |
| Struggle in the Valley Sira` Fi al-Wadi Sira` Fi al-Wadi is a 1954 Egyptian romance/drama film directed by the acclaimed Egyptian film director Youssef Chahine and written by Helmy Halim and Ali El Zorkani. It starred Omar Sharif and Faten Hamama. This was the first film role that Omar Sharif played and it was this role that earned him... |
Sira` Fi al-Wadi, صراع في الوادي | Amal | |
| 1955 | Our Beautiful Days Ayyamna al-Holwa Ayyamna al-Holwa is a 1955 Egyptian romance/musical film directed and co-written by the Egyptian film director and writer Helmy Halim. It starred Abdel Halim Hafez, Ahmed Ramzy, Omar Sharif, and Faten Hamama... |
Ayyamna al-Holwa, أيامنا الحلوة | Hoda |
| Love and Tears Hob wa Dumoo` Hob wa Dumoo` is a 1955 Egyptian romance/drama film directed by the Egyptian film director Kamal El Sheikh. It starred Ahmed Ramzy, Zaki Rostom, and Faten Hamama.- Plot :... |
Hob Wa Dumoo`, حب و دموع | Fatimah | |
| 1956 | Love Date Maw`ed Gharam Appointment with Love is a 1956 Egyptian romance/musical film directed and co-written by the Egyptian film director Henry Barakat. It starred Abdel Halim Hafez, Faten Hamama, Rushdy Abaza, Zahrat El-Ola, and Imad Hamdi.- Plot :... |
Maw`ed Gharam, موعد غرام | Nawal |
| Struggle in the Pier Sira` Fi al-Mina Sira` Fi al-Mina is a 1956 Egyptian romance/crime/drama film directed by the acclaimed Egyptian film director Youssef Chahine. It starred Omar Sharif, Ahmed Ramzy, and Faten Hamama.- Plot :... |
Sira` Fi al-Mina, صراع في الميناء | Hameedah | |
| 1957 | Road of Hope Tareeq al-Amal Tareeq al-Amal is a 1957 Egyptian romance/drama film directed by the Egyptian film director Ezzel Dine Zulficar. It starred Rushdy Abaza, Shukry Sarhan, and Faten Hamama.- Plot :... |
Tareeq al-Amal, طريق الأمل | Faten |
| Land of Peace Ard al-Salam Ard al-Salam is a 1957 Egyptian war/drama film directed by the Egyptian film director Kamal El Sheikh. It starred Omar Sharif and Faten Hamama. In this film, most of the characters speak Palestinian Arabic.- Plot :... |
Ard al-Salam, أرض السلام | Salma | |
| Sleepless La Anam La Anam is a 1957 Egyptian melodrama film. The film follows the intricate story of Nadia Lutfi, a daughter of divorced parents who suffers from Electra complex, which drives her to intervene in her father's relationships.... |
La Anam, لا أنام | Nadia Lotfy | |
| 1958 | The Barred Road Al-Tareeq al-Masdood Al-Tareeq al-Masdood is a 1958 Egyptian drama/romance film.Directed by the Egyptian film director Salah Abu Seif, this film is based on a novel with the same name written by the Egyptian novelist Ihsan Abdel Quddous. The film was co-written by El Sayed Bedeir and the Nobel Prize-winning writer... |
Al-Tareeq al-Masdood, الطريق المسدود | Fayza |
| The Virgin Wife Al-Zawjah al-Azra' Al-Zawjah al-Azra' is a 1958 Egyptian crime/mystery film. Directed by El Sayed Bedeir, the film was written by Mustafa Samy and starred Faten Hamama, Imad Hamdi and Ahmed Mazhar.- Plot :... |
Al-Zawjah al-Azra, الزوجة العذراء | Mona | |
| Lady of the Castle Sayyidat al-Qasr Sayyidat al-Qasr is a 1958 Egyptian romance film starring Faten Hamama and Omar Sharif. The film is directed by the Egyptian film director Kamal El Sheikh and written by Hussein Helmy Almohandes.- Plot :... |
Sayyidat al-Qasr, سيدة القصر | Sawsan | |
| 1959 | Among the Ruins | Bayn al-Atlal, بين الأطلال | Mona |
| The Nightingale's Prayer Doaa al-Karawan The Nightingale's Prayer is a classical 1959 Egyptian drama film directed by Henry Barakat and based on a novel by the prominent writer Taha Hussein. It stars Faten Hamama and Ahmed Mazhar.... |
Doaa al-Karawan, دعاء الكروان | Amnah | |
| 1960 | River of Love Nahr al-Hob The River of Love, is a 1960 Egyptian romance film starring Faten Hamama and Omar Sharif. The film is directed by the Egyptian film director Ezzel Dine Zulficar and based on Leo Tolstoy's novel, Anna Karenina... |
Nahr al-Hob, نهر الحب | Nawal |
| 1961 | I Will Not Confess | Lan A`tref, لن أعترف | Amal |
| Don't Set the Sun Off La Tutf'e al-Shams La Tutf'e al-Shams is a 1961 Egyptian romance film. Directed by the Egyptian film director Salah Abu Seif, this film is based on a novel with the same name written by the Egyptian novelist Ihsan Abdel Quddous and co-written by Helmy Halim... |
La Tutf'e al-Shams, لا تطفئ الشمس | Layla | |
| 1962 | The Miracle | Al-Mu`jiza, المعجزة | Layla |
| 1963 | Cairo Cairo (film) Cairo is a 1942 musical comedy film made by MGM and Loew's, and directed by W. S. Van Dyke. The screenplay was written by John McClain, based on idea by Ladislas Fodor about a news reporter shipwrecked in a torpedo attack, who teams up with a Hollywood singer and her maid to foil Nazi spies. The... (USA) |
Cairo | Amina |
| No Time For Love | La Waqt Lil Hob, لا وقت للحُب | Fawziyah | |
| The Open Door | Al-Bab al-Maftooh, الباب المفتوح | Laila | |
| The Last Night | Al-Laylah al-Akheera, الليلة الأخيرة | Nadia / Fawziyah | |
| 1965 | The Sin Al Haram Al Haram is a classical 1965 Egyptian drama film directed by Henry Barakat. The film stars Faten Hamama, Zaki Rostom, and Abdallah Gheith and is based on a novel by the same title by Yūsuf Idrīs. The film was nominated for the Prix International award at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival. It was also... |
Al-Haram, الحرام | Azizah |
| Story of a Lifetime | Hikayet al-`Omr Kolloh, حكاية العمر كلّه | Nadia | |
| The Confession | Al-`Itriaf, الاعتراف | Nawal | |
| 1966 | Something in My Life | Shai' Fi Hayati, شيء في حياتي | A'ida |
| 1970 | The Great Love | Al-Hob al-Kabeer, الحب الكبير | Hanan |
| 1971 | Thin Thread | Al-Khayt al-Rfee, الخيط الرفيع | Mona |
| 1972 | M Empire | Imbratoriyat Meem, امبراطورية ميم | Mona |
| 1974 | My Love | Habibati, حبيبتي | Samia |
| I Need a Solution | Oridu Hallan, أريدُ حلاً | Fawziyah | |
| 1977 | Mouths and Rabbits | Afwah wa Araneb, أفواه و أرانب | Ne'mat |
| 1979 | Ladies Should Not Offer Condolences | Wa La `Aza'a Lil Sayyidat, ولا عزاء للسيدات | Rawya |
| 1985 | The Night of Fatima's Arrest | Laylat al-Qabd `Ala Fatimah, ليلة القبض على فاطمة | Fatimah |
| 1988 | Sweet Days.. Bitter Days | Yawm Mur Yawm Hilw, يوم مر.. يوم حلو | Aisha |
| 1993 | Land of Dreams | Ard al-Ahlam, أرض الأحلام | Nargis |
Television
| Year | Title | Arabic | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Miss Hikmat's Conscience (mini-series) | Dameer Ablah Hikmat, ضمير أبلة حكمت | Hikmat |
| 2000 | Face of the Moon Wajh al-Qamar Wajh al-Qamar is a 2001 Egyptian TV soap opera mini-series. It was broadcast in the month of Ramadan on 23 Arabic TV channels. The series was hyped by the media, mainly because it marked the return of Egyptian actress Faten Hamama. An episode was aired everyday for 35 days. It was directed by... (mini-series) |
Wajh al-Qamar, وجه القمر | Ibtisam al-Bostany |
| 2007 | A Retired Minister (TBA) | Wazeerah 'ala al-Ma'ash, وزيرة على المعاش |
See also
- Egyptian films of the 1960sEgyptian films of the 1960sThe following is an incomplete list of Egyptian films of the 1960s. For an A-Z list of films currently on Wikipedia, see :Category:Egyptian films.-1960s:-External links:* at the Internet Movie Database...
- Lists of Egyptians