The Night of Counting the Years
Encyclopedia
The Night of Counting the Years, a.k.a. The Mummy (Arabic:
Al-Mummia المومياء) is a 1969 Egyptian film directed by Shadi Abdel Salam. It was Salam's first feature film. Egyptian critics consistently list it as one of the most important Egyptian films ever made. The film was selected as the Egyptian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
at the 43rd Academy Awards
, but was not accepted as a nominee.
of mummies discovered at tomb DB320 near the village of Kurna
, and selling the artefacts on the illicit antiquities black market. After a conflict within the clan, one of its members goes to the police, helping the Antiquities Service find the cache.
. However, the conflict between city and countryside suggests questions that are not resolved in the film, making it an ambiguous, unsettling reflection on the price of identity.
, unusual camera angles and striking colours give the film a dreamlike quality, reinforced by Mario Nascimbene
's eerie music
. Moreover, the dialogue is entirely in classical Arabic
, a very unusual trait for an Egyptian film, which adds to the sense of unreality.
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
Al-Mummia المومياء) is a 1969 Egyptian film directed by Shadi Abdel Salam. It was Salam's first feature film. Egyptian critics consistently list it as one of the most important Egyptian films ever made. The film was selected as the Egyptian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 43rd Academy Awards
43rd Academy Awards
The 43rd Academy Awards were presented April 15, 1971 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. There was no host.It was during this ceremony that George C...
, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Plot
Set in 1881, on the eve of British colonial rule, it is based on the true story of the Abd el-Rasuls, an Upper-Egyptian clan that had been robbing a cacheTreasure trove
A treasure trove may broadly be defined as an amount of money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion found hidden underground or in places such as cellars or attics, where the treasure seems old enough for it to be presumed that the true owner is dead and the heirs undiscoverable...
of mummies discovered at tomb DB320 near the village of Kurna
Kurna
Kurna are various spelling for a group of three closely related villages located on the West Bank of the River Nile opposite the modern city of Luxor in Egypt near the Theban Hills.New Qurna was designed and built in the late 1940s and early 1950s by...
, and selling the artefacts on the illicit antiquities black market. After a conflict within the clan, one of its members goes to the police, helping the Antiquities Service find the cache.
Symbolism
The film casts its story in terms of the search for an authentic, lost Egyptian national identity, represented by the neglected and misunderstood artifacts of ancient Egyptian civilisationAncient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
. However, the conflict between city and countryside suggests questions that are not resolved in the film, making it an ambiguous, unsettling reflection on the price of identity.
Visual style
Its slow pacePace (speed)
Pace, also called rhythm or tempo, is a term used to describe the rate of activity or movement, such as in running or the flow of events in an entertainment piece.-Entertainment:...
, unusual camera angles and striking colours give the film a dreamlike quality, reinforced by Mario Nascimbene
Mario Nascimbene
Mario Nascimbene was one of the best known Italian film soundtrack composers of the 20th Century. His career spanned six decades, during which time he earned several awards for the innovative contents of his composing style...
's eerie music
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
. Moreover, the dialogue is entirely in classical Arabic
Classical Arabic
Classical Arabic , also known as Qur'anic or Koranic Arabic, is the form of the Arabic language used in literary texts from Umayyad and Abbasid times . It is based on the Medieval dialects of Arab tribes...
, a very unusual trait for an Egyptian film, which adds to the sense of unreality.
See also
- Grave robbingGrave robbingGrave robbery, grave robbing, or tomb raiding is the act of uncovering a tomb or crypt to steal artifacts or personal effects. Someone who engages in this act is a grave robber or tomb raider...
- List of submissions to the 43rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Egyptian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film