Wajh al-Qamar
Encyclopedia
Wajh al-Qamar is a 2001 Egypt
ian 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 Adel El Aassar and was written by Magda Khayrallah. The series won the Best Series award in the Egyptian Radio and Television Festival in 2001.
and is a member of a perfect rich family. Her husband Karim Abul-Ezz is a successful businessman, and their three children, Sarah and Samah from Ibtissam's previous marriage, and Wael are all bright and ambitious. One day, Ibtissam's long-lost husband Mustafa Qura unexpectedly reappears, and messes all this perfection up. It turns out that he never died after all. Mustafa claims that Karim had killed him, or thought he had, when an arms deal
they were both involved in went wrong. He was able to escape. Ibtissam didn't even know that Karim and Mustafa knew each other in the first place.
Ibtissam tries to conceal Mustafa's reappearance from her family, hoping he will just go away again and leave them alone. After all, Karim had brought up her two daughters like his own. But his reappearance is driving a wedge between her and her family, and everyone can tell there is something very wrong. Mustafa is bent on interfering in Samah and Sara's lives. In Sara's case, he makes her discover that her fiancée
is a strange person who deals in stolen antiquities, and his lawyer helps get Sara discharged from custody after her fiancée intentionally leaves a precious artifact in her car and she is arrested. In Samah's case, he advises Ibtissam to stop rejecting Samah's boyfriend, Hashem, a pop star, who he finds out is a good guy. The girls keep seeing Mustafa, but whenever they ask Ibtissam who he is, she disavows even knowing who he is.
Mustafa tries desperately to get Ibtissam back. He goes to the courts to prove that her marriage to Karim is invalid because he is still alive. But to prove it's really him, he needs to get witnesses and people who knew him to swear in front of the courts that he is who he claims he is, but Karim is always getting to them first, and persuading them not to appear. Only Ibtissam can save him, and destroy her own marriage in the process, by swearing in front of the court. Sara and Samamh find out that Mustafa is really their long-lost father. Sara is enraptured, and moves out of the house to stay with him. Samah is a little less excited, but eventually comes around. To make matters even more complicated, Mustafa is dying of leukemia
and needs a bone marrow transplant
, which Sara selflessly volunteers for. His doctor, a young man, is impressed and asks her to marry him, and she agrees.
All this sets the scene for the series finale
, which climaxes in Sara's wedding. Ibtissam urges Karim to go with her to the wedding. Karim refuses, as he doesn't want to face his former friend and current enemy. During the wedding, Mustafa gets ill and goes back to his hotel room. Karim shows up at the wedding and Ibtissam tells him to go see Mustafa. The two meet in the dark hotel room and finally face each other and their squalid past. Mustafa asks Karim why did he marry Ibtissam. Karim tells him that he loved her. Mustafa passes out. He has achieved what he came back for. He has become a part of his daughter's lives again, and is sure his wife is in good hands. Karim takes him to the hospital, and is the last person to see Mustafa alive.
In the show's final sequence, several years later, the family is all gathered happily at the table for iftar (breakfast in Ramadan), just like before. Except there are now new members of the family — the doctor and Sara's new child, Mustafa.
Hamama, herself, was also a target of criticism. The Al-Wafd newspaper wrote:
The same Sawt Al-Umma article mentioned above wrote:
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 TV soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
mini-series. It was broadcast in the month of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
on 23 Arabic TV channels. The series was hyped by the media, mainly because it marked the return of Egyptian actress Faten Hamama
Faten Hamama
Faten Hamama is an Egyptian producer and an acclaimed actress of film, television, and theatre. She was regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from melodramas to historical films and occasional comedies, though her chief successes were romantic dramas...
. An episode was aired everyday for 35 days. It was directed by Adel El Aassar and was written by Magda Khayrallah. The series won the Best Series award in the Egyptian Radio and Television Festival in 2001.
Synopsis
Ibtissam al-Bostany is a TV presenterPresenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and is a member of a perfect rich family. Her husband Karim Abul-Ezz is a successful businessman, and their three children, Sarah and Samah from Ibtissam's previous marriage, and Wael are all bright and ambitious. One day, Ibtissam's long-lost husband Mustafa Qura unexpectedly reappears, and messes all this perfection up. It turns out that he never died after all. Mustafa claims that Karim had killed him, or thought he had, when an arms deal
Arms industry
The arms industry is a global industry and business which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology and equipment. It comprises government and commercial industry involved in research, development, production, and service of military material, equipment and facilities...
they were both involved in went wrong. He was able to escape. Ibtissam didn't even know that Karim and Mustafa knew each other in the first place.
Ibtissam tries to conceal Mustafa's reappearance from her family, hoping he will just go away again and leave them alone. After all, Karim had brought up her two daughters like his own. But his reappearance is driving a wedge between her and her family, and everyone can tell there is something very wrong. Mustafa is bent on interfering in Samah and Sara's lives. In Sara's case, he makes her discover that her fiancée
Engagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
is a strange person who deals in stolen antiquities, and his lawyer helps get Sara discharged from custody after her fiancée intentionally leaves a precious artifact in her car and she is arrested. In Samah's case, he advises Ibtissam to stop rejecting Samah's boyfriend, Hashem, a pop star, who he finds out is a good guy. The girls keep seeing Mustafa, but whenever they ask Ibtissam who he is, she disavows even knowing who he is.
Mustafa tries desperately to get Ibtissam back. He goes to the courts to prove that her marriage to Karim is invalid because he is still alive. But to prove it's really him, he needs to get witnesses and people who knew him to swear in front of the courts that he is who he claims he is, but Karim is always getting to them first, and persuading them not to appear. Only Ibtissam can save him, and destroy her own marriage in the process, by swearing in front of the court. Sara and Samamh find out that Mustafa is really their long-lost father. Sara is enraptured, and moves out of the house to stay with him. Samah is a little less excited, but eventually comes around. To make matters even more complicated, Mustafa is dying of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
and needs a bone marrow transplant
Bone marrow transplant
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the transplantation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cell or blood, usually derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cells, or umbilical cord blood...
, which Sara selflessly volunteers for. His doctor, a young man, is impressed and asks her to marry him, and she agrees.
All this sets the scene for the series finale
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
, which climaxes in Sara's wedding. Ibtissam urges Karim to go with her to the wedding. Karim refuses, as he doesn't want to face his former friend and current enemy. During the wedding, Mustafa gets ill and goes back to his hotel room. Karim shows up at the wedding and Ibtissam tells him to go see Mustafa. The two meet in the dark hotel room and finally face each other and their squalid past. Mustafa asks Karim why did he marry Ibtissam. Karim tells him that he loved her. Mustafa passes out. He has achieved what he came back for. He has become a part of his daughter's lives again, and is sure his wife is in good hands. Karim takes him to the hospital, and is the last person to see Mustafa alive.
In the show's final sequence, several years later, the family is all gathered happily at the table for iftar (breakfast in Ramadan), just like before. Except there are now new members of the family — the doctor and Sara's new child, Mustafa.
Cast
- Faten HamamaFaten HamamaFaten Hamama is an Egyptian producer and an acclaimed actress of film, television, and theatre. She was regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from melodramas to historical films and occasional comedies, though her chief successes were romantic dramas...
as Ibtissam al-Bostany. - Gamil RatibGamil Ratib-Filmography:* 1956 : " Trapeze"* 1962 : Lawrence of Arabia by David Lean : Majid* 1973 : L’Alphomega, TV series by Lazare Iglesis : Prince Raheem Abdel Rasheem* 1979: "Chafika et Metwal" by Aly Badrakhan : "Afandina"...
as Karim Abul-Ezz. - Ahmed RamzyAhmed RamzyAhmed Ramzy is an Egyptian actor who played the leading roles in many Egyptian films in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.-Early life:Ramzy was born Ramzy Mahmoud Bayoumi in 1930 to an Egyptian orthopedist and university professor father, his mother was a young Scottish lady.Ramzy graduated from...
as Mustafa Qura. - Ghada Adel as Sara.
- Nelly Karim as Samah.
- Omar Sharif Jr. as Amun.
- Ahmed El Feshawy as Wael.
- Hassan Hosny as the doctor.
- Wael Nour as Hashem.
- Ola GhanemOla Ghanem-Television:* Habibi Man Takoun.* Hadith Al-Sabah Wa Al-Masaa.* Wajh al-Qamar* Zizinya.* Gisr Al-Khatar.* Al-Fostat* Dahaya Wa Laken* Ta'ala Nehlam Be Bokra* Al Aar -Film:* Al-Agenda Al-Hamra* Mohami Kholea * Sahar Al-Layali...
Criticism
Although the series was popular and successful, there were some criticisms that it had received. The series was criticized for being far too preachy and moralistic. A Sawt Al-Umma article called it an "educational channel show that had gotten lost along the way and ended up on Channel 1."Hamama, herself, was also a target of criticism. The Al-Wafd newspaper wrote:
"There's a cloud, or maybe it's fog, that appears every time Faten shows up, to the extent that a lot of people thought there was something wrong with their TVs."
The same Sawt Al-Umma article mentioned above wrote:
"Faten Hamama is like a soccer player who has been away from practice for a long time... the muscles have gone so stiff, the knees so rickety, and the chest so weak that he can no longer score goals except in his own net."
Trivia
- Faten Hamama entered history as the highest paid Egyptian actress for her role in Face of the Moon. This record was broken by more than one actor and actress in 2006.