The presentation of contemporary characters in cinema raised many questions, some of whom supported and some opposed, and sometimes it even reached the point of entering the corridors of the courts, especially with regard to the biographies of the characters and established and recorded historical facts.
The Syrian writer Jean Al-Kasan wrote in the monthly newspaper Al-Funun, published by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters in the State of Kuwait, an article entitled “Historical Figures in Egyptian Cinema,” in which she explained, as an introduction, that cinema, since its inception, has presented the biography and lives of a large group of historical figures, including prophets, leaders, leaders, and scholars. Writers and others, such as the Prophet Moses and the Prophet Jesus, peace be upon them, Gandhi, Napoleon, Saladin, Joan of Arc, and even Hitler.
In recent years, cinema in Egypt has tended to present a number of characters who are more contemporary than historical. The beginning was with the late leader Gamal Abdel Nasser, about whom two films were produced, President Sadat, and Star of the East Umm Kulthum, and there was an announcement of the intention of the family of Field Marshal Abdel Hakim Amer to produce a film about him as a response to the way in which his character was presented, and the subject of these films was accompanied by a lot of research. The dust that was raised around it reached the point where the issue reached the courts and there was even protest against Abdel Nasser’s appearance in one of the scenes of the movie Gamal Abdel Nasser in “Pyjamas.”
Nasser 56
“Nasser 56” was the first film produced about the late leader Gamal Abdel Nasser, in which the late artist Ahmed Zaki played the role of the leader. The most important thing we read about was an objective study by the researcher and critic Muhammad Al-Desouki in the Lebanese “Fan” magazine in which he says: Ahmed Zaki read What was written about Gamal Abdel Nasser, and I thought – wrongly – that these writings – were about another human being, another leader who was similar in name to Abdel Nasser, but not similar to him in action. He announced that his wish was to present a group of great and great personalities on the screen, through which he said: For the youth: Egypt is not the so-and-so thief, the public smuggler, the corrupt millionaire, and the hashish and heroin dealer. Rather, Egypt is Abdel Nasser and a group of honorable men in various fields.
Sadat days
After the film Gamal Abdel Nasser and the opinions it raised, and with the decision to produce a film about the life of the late President Anwar Sadat, other problems arose, especially since a lot of controversy arose around his personality during his reign and after his assassination, which fueled disagreement between opinion-makers, politicians and parties, especially regarding his visit. To Israel and signing the Camp David Accords.
This dispute spread to the people of art and writers of cinema and drama with the decision to make this film, in which the star Ahmed Zaki plays the role of Sadat, who played the role of Abdel Nasser in the movie “Nasser 56.” The problems began when “Rose Al-Youssef” magazine indicated that one of the magazines had published an interview. With the late star Ahmed Zaki about the dispute that arose regarding the film’s script even before the director and actors entered the filming sites.
Perhaps the beginning was what was raised by the great writer Osama Anwar Okasha about the choice of the author and screenwriter Ali Salem to write the screenplay for the film Sadat, because of Ali Salem’s well-known position on the issue of peace, and he is an advocate of normalization with Israel. Ahmed Zaki denied this statement, saying that it was based on the conclusion and not the conclusion. Information and facts, especially since it was approved by the censorship and by Mrs. Jihan Sadat since March 10, 1994. As for Ali Salem, he was used to achieve a positive addition to the dramatic work, and it is natural to refer to several sources and characters to achieve such a qualitative film.
As for what was raised about Ahmed Zaki acting the characters of Abdel Nasser and Sadat, despite the disparity in them, he responded that he is an actor, playing the appropriate role, and he had previously played the role of a building janitor, as well as the role of Taha Hussein.
With the development of positions around the film “Sadat,” Jihan Sadat said in a symposium held at the Nozha Rotary Club in Alexandria in mid-September 1999: I told Ahmed Zaki when he visited me and read to me the story of the film that it is better to focus in the film on the heroics of the October War and the story of peace with Israel rather than focusing on the film’s story. On the story of his love for me and his marriage to me.
A film about Umm Kulthum
It was not easy to present an artistic work about the biography, life, and art of the great singer Umm Kulthum, whom we saw in the series “Umm Kulthum,” for which the script was written by Mahfouz Abdel Rahman and directed by Inaam Muhammad Ali, in which Sabreen played the starring role. Then we saw her in a movie called “Planet of the East.” For which the script was written by Ibrahim Al-Muji, based on the memoirs of Mustafa Amin, and directed by Muhammad Fadel, in which I played the role of Umm Kulthum Firdaus Abdel Hamid.
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