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Farid al-Atrash (Arabic: فريد الأطرش; April 21, 1910 – December 26, 1974), also written Farid El-Atrache, was a Syrian-Egyptian composer, singer, virtuoso oud player, and actor.[1][2] Having immigrated to Egypt at the age of only nine years old with his mother and siblings, he studied there under numerous respected musicians. Al-Atrash embarked on a highly successful career spanning more than four decades—recording 500 songs and starring in 31 movies. Sometimes referred to as "King of the Oud", he is one of the most important figures of 20th century Arab music.[3]
Contents
1 Early life
2 Family
3 Musical career
4 Film career
5 Personal life
6 Death
7 Legacy
8 Filmography
9 References
10 Further reading
11 External links
Early life[edit]
Al-Atrash was born in Al-Qurayya,[4] in southern Syria to the Druze princely al-Atrash family who fought the French colonial army.[5] His father was Syrian and his mother was Lebanese.[6]
As a young child, al-Atrash emigrated with his mother and siblings to Egypt, escaping the French occupation. Later, they were naturalized by the Egyptian government as citizens. Farid's mother sang and played the Oud, which spurred his musical interest at an early age.
As a child and young adult, al-Atrash sang within school events. He studied at Egypt's music conservatory and became an apprentice of the renowned Egyptian composer Riad Al Sunbati. In the 1930s, al-Atrash began his professional singing career by working for privately owned Egyptian radio stations. Eventually, he was hired as an oud player for the national radio station and later as a singer. His sister, Asmahan, was also a talented singer, and for a while they worked together. In 1941, they starred in their first successful movie Intisar a l-Shabab (انتصار الشباب – The Triumph of Youth, 1941), in which Farid himself composed all the music.[7]
Family[edit]
Farid and his sister Asmahan
Camilla Al Atrash, the only daughter of Asmahan with her uncle Farid
Farid and his sister Amal, along with their brother Fou'ad, belonged to the religious minority Druze clan of their parents, Princess Alia and Prince Fahd al-Atrash. (Asmar 1998)
His younger sister, Asmahan, evidenced similar musical talent in her teens, becoming one of the most popular female vocalists and cinema stars in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Farid is better known than Asmahan because her career was interrupted by her death in an accident in 1944. Yet he was initially overshadowed by his sister's talent and popularity. With maturity and the forging of a successful performance formula, Farid became famous in his own right. Even today, reference to the given name "Farid" in the context of Arabic music or popular culture is immediately understood to denote al-Atrash himself. (Zuhur, 2003)
Musical career[edit]
Al-Atrash had a long and colorful music career lasting four decades. He composed musically diverse songs, and was a highly regarded composer, singer and instrumentalist.[8] Al-Atrash maintained that although some of his music had western musical influence, he always stayed true to Arab music principles. Although the majority of his compositions were romantic love songs, he also composed several patriotic and religious songs.[9]
One of al-Atrash's most unusual and distinguishable traits was his voice. High and mellow at the start of his career, it evolved into a wider, deeper sound. A person not familiar with his work would find it hard to believe the singer in "Ya Reitni Tir" (1930s) and "Adnaytani Bil Hajr" (1960s) were the same singer. His singing style was deeply passionate.
In many of his songs, and nearly all of his concerts, al-Atrash would sing a mawal, which is a local folk Egyptian slow voice improvisation of a few poetic lines. These improvisations sometimes lasted up to 15 minutes. The mawal was a favorite of his fans. Some of the most famous songs include "Rabeeh" (Spring), "Awal Hamsa" (first whisper), "Hekayat Gharami" (story of my love), "Albi Wa Moftaho" (my heart and its key), "Gamil Gamal", "Wayak", "Ya Zahratan Fi Khayali" (يا زهرة في خيالي – "Flower of my imagination), "Bisat Ir Rih" (flying carpet), "Ya Gamil Ya Gamil", "Ya Habaybi Ya Ghaybeen", "Eish Anta", and "sa3a bi 2orb el habib" (an hour in company of the beloved).
Film career[edit]
Al-Atrash starred in 31 Egyptian musical films from 1941 to 1974. His last movie, Nagham Fi Hayati (نغم في حياتي, Songs in my life) was released after his death. All his films except the last two were black and white. They ranged from comedies to dramas, or a combination. He composed all the songs in his movies including the songs sung by other singers, and instrumentals (usually belly dance routines). His earlier films would include approximately ten songs, but overall the films would average about five songs each. Some of al-Atrash's well-known movies include Intisar al-Shabab (انتصار الشباب – The Triumph of Youth, 1941), Yom Bila Ghad, Ahd el-Hawa, and Lahn al-Kholoud (لحن الخلود – "Eternal Tune", 1952).
Personal life[edit]
Al-Atrash shaking hands with Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, February 1955
Quick success brought the young man a lifestyle of nightclubs, love affairs, and gambling.[citation needed] Soon Farid was in debt and found himself abandoned by his disapproving mother. During this difficult period of his life, he also endured the death of his sister and fellow performer Asmahan. Farid found comfort in a relationship with the belly-dancer Samia Gamal, for whom he was motivated to risk all he owned. In 1947 he produced and co-starred in a movie with Samia directed by Henri Barakat; Habib al-'Oumr ("The love of my life," 1947), which became a huge success. After this came Afrita Hanem ("Madame la diablesse," 1949). Five films later, the unmarried couple broke up. Farid continued to work with other film stars in numerous successful movies in which he always had the romantic lead role of a sad singer. He even repeatedly chose his character's name to be "Wahid," meaning lonely.[citation needed]
Al-Atrash refused to get married, claiming that marriage kills art. In his films, the audience remembered his leading ladies and his beautiful songs more than the story lines.[10]
Prior to the 1952 military coup d'état against King Farouk I, al-Atrash became friends with Farouk's consort, Queen Nariman, a relationship that continued after the Queen's divorce and the coup that cost Farouk his throne.[11] The former queen's family did not accept al-Atrash, and the separation from Nariman sent the singer into a long depression, the start of health problems that worsened from that point on until his death.
As al-Atrash became older, he reconsidered his opinion of marriage and proposed to Egyptian singer named Shadia, but at the last minute he backed out. By now his health was poor, and he feared that he would leave her a young widow. He often played out that scenario and sang about it in his romance movies.[12] He was also engaged to marry Salwa al-Qudsi at the end of his life.[13]
Others stated: "He remained a bachelor throughout his life"[14] but he possibly had a brief 'urfi marriage.[15] and another Moroccan-born singer Maya Casabianca called him the "love of her life" (though they didn't marry).[16] He characterized himself in a fairly idealized version of a modern artist. "Tales of his love affairs were wildly popular during his lifetime and were seemingly merged with the lyrics of his love songs." (Zuhur in Ouzgane 2003)
Death[edit]
Al-Atrash suffered from heart problems throughout his last 30 years.[citation needed] In the last few years of his life, he became physically thinner, and his singing voice became raspy as his sickness intensified. Although he was struggling with his health, he continued to produce movies and perform in concerts until he died.[citation needed]
On Monday December 24, 1974 the doctors told al-Atrash that after two days he could go home.[citation needed] This was because they noticed that Farid did not like the hospital, or the drugs and the food that the hospital provided for him. On December 26, 1974, al-Atrash died in Beirut, Lebanon at Al Hayek hospital, shortly after arriving from London. Al-Atrash is buried in Cairo, Egypt alongside his sister and brother.[17]
Legacy[edit]
Over his lifetime, al-Atrash starred in 31 movies and recorded approximately 350 songs. He composed songs for top Arab singers, foremost his own sister, Asmahan, as well as Wadih El-Safi, Shadia, Warda, and Sabah. He is widely considered to be one of the four 'greats' of Egyptian and Arabic music, along with Abdel Halim Hafez, Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Oum Kalthoum.[18] Notable Egyptian instrumental guitarist Omar Khorshid covered Farid al-Atrash's songs in a tribute album.
Filmography[edit]
Nagham Fi Hayati (1975)
Zaman Ya Hob (1973)
Hob al kabir, -Al (1969)
Khouroug min el guana, El (1967)
Hikayet el omr kulluh (1965)
Ressalah min emraa maghoula (1963)
Yomun bala ghaden (1962)
Shatie el hub (196ww1)
Min agl Hobbi (1960)
Maleesh Gheirak (1958)
Inta habibi (1957)
Wadda'tu hubbak (1957)
Izhay ansak (1956)
Oussit Hobi (1955)
Ahdil Hawa (1955)
Risalat Gharam (1954)
Lahn hubi (1954)
Ayza atgawwez (1952)
Lahn al khouloud (1952)
Ma takulshi la hada (1952)
Taa la salim (1951)
Akher kedba (1950)
Afrita hanem (1949)
Ahebbak inta (1949)
Habib al omr (1947)
Bolbol effendi (1946)
Gamal wa Dalal (1946)
Ma akdarshi (1946)
Shahr el asal (1946)
Ahlam el chabab (1943)
Intisar al-chabab (1941) *****
Remembering Farid al-Atrash: A Contender in the Age of Giants
By
Sami Asmar
The same family that spearheaded the rebellion against the French in Syria's Druze Mountain after World War I also produced two of the most renowned Arab musical artists of this century. Farid al-Atrash and his sister Amal, along with their brother Fouad, grew up in the religious minority clan of their parents, Princess Alia and Prince Fahd al-Atrash.
The al-Atrash parents, who moved frequently between the major cities of the Levant in their political struggle against the French, kept watchful eyes on their three surviving children. Princess Alia had lost two of her five children to disease at a young age and became highly concerned about the safety of the others. Her fears were compounded when Farid almost died in a drowning accident in Beirut while playing with another child on a small boat; after that his mother locked him indoors when he was not in school.
Due to the potential for French reprisal against his family, the Druze leader sent his family to Egypt for refuge. Leaving her husband and wealth behind, the princess disguised herself and her children, taking the fake family name Kusa, Arabic for zucchini. This odd choice of names brought Farid ridicule in his new school in Egypt C a French school, ironically, which waived the tuition of the "poor child."
"The instructor, despite Farid's nice voice, was not impressed with his inability to express feelings and advised him to cry so that the listeners would feel the pain expressed in the chants. As his fans know, this advice worked, and remained a theme that lasted through his career, as he earned the label the 'sad singer.'"
In the midst of this economically difficult life, Farid's musical interest grew as he listened to his mother sing and play theoud (lute) at home. He trained with the school's Christian choir. The instructor, despite Farid's nice voice, was not impressed with his inability to express feelings and advised him to cry so that the listeners would feel the pain expressed in the chants. As his fans know, this advice worked, and remained a theme that lasted through his career, as he earned the label the "sad singer."
Al Wasat magazine describes a story about Farid's love of music as a child. He admired a certain singer in a coffee shop, but could never afford to buy a cup of tea there to listen to him. He frequently stood outside the shop to enjoy the music, until an observant shop employee noticed with displeasure that the teenager was not paying for the show, and surprised him by pouring a bucket of cold water on him. Farid walked the streets of Cairo hoping his clothes would dry, but eventually returned home and slept in his wet clothes hoping to avoid his mother's anger. He woke up with a fever that would have been much worse had he not wrapped himself in newspapers to stay warm. He later commented in a radio interview that the protection he received from those newspapers was his first positive experience with the print media.
The former princess eventually sang in clubs to support her children, and allowed Farid to sing in school events. As he developed his talent, he performed in a university concert honoring the Syrian rebellion, a performance that attracted the art community's attention but revealed his true identity as a member of the al-Atrash clan, the French school dismissed him. He graduated from a different school and was admitted, with another tuition waiver, to a music conservatory; from there he became an apprentice to the renowned composer Riyad al-Sunbaty. Sunbaty recommended the hard-working young man highly, and al-Atrash sang in privately owned Egyptian radio stations in the 1930's. When a national radio station was established and the private stations ordered closed, the national station hired Farid as anoud player in its orchestra and later made him a singer. His sister's singing talent was also discovered, and she took a catchy yet classy art name, Asmahan. Several film makers hoped to showcase the curious brother-sister phenomenon in a film. After several offers, the two singers starred in a successful movie in 1941, but only after a risk-taking producer reluctantly agreed to Farid's demands to compose all the music himself.
The quick success of the handsome young star changed his lifestyle; he enjoyed the city nightlife, love affairs, and gambling on horse races. Farid soon found himself in debt and abandoned by his disapproving mother. This difficult phase of his life was made even worse by the drowning death of Asmahan, an accident that has yet to be fully explained and remains the subject of interest for conspiracy theorists. Farid, however, found comfort in a relationship with the dancer Samia Gamal. He was motivated to risk all he owned for her, and managed to borrow enough money to produce a movie co-starring the two of them in 1947. The unexpected large financial rewards of this enterprise placed Farid in the wealthy class practically overnight. Five films later, the unmarried couple broke up in a bitter fight. Farid proceeded to work with other film stars in numerous successful movies. He almost always played the romantic lead role of a sad singer C even reusing the name Wahid, which means lonely, for his character. Apparently unable to function well without a girlfriend and refusing to get married (claiming that marriage kills art), he broke the hearts of many of his co-stars. Farid loved being in love, a pre-requisite for a romantic singer. Though the movies' plots were not particularly memorable, Farid's leading ladies were another story, and audiences clearly remembered his beautiful songs for a long time. His classic songs include "Al-Rabi'" (Spring) and "Awall Hamsah" (First Whisper), and the timeless tunes "Lahni al-Khulud," "Tutah," and "Raqsitil Gamal," the latter two being dance pieces. His "lighter" songs like "Nura Nura," "Hallet Layali," and "Gamil Gamal" remain incredibly popular to this day. Farid exhibited his nationalistic side in the song "Busat al-Reeh" (Flying Carpet), a conceptual tour of the musical styles of the Arab world. Though it has not been located in his archives, it is also rumored that he compo sed a national anthem in anticipation of an independent Palestine.
One of his more interesting real-life love stories involved a member of the royalty. Shortly before the Egyptian revolution, Farid befriended the king's wife. The playboy king was understandably uncomfortable sharing the spotlight with another celebrity. Soon thereafter, he and his wife found themselves forced into exile, but after she and the king divorced, Farid's "friend" returned to Egypt where her stormy love affair with al-Atrash was the buzz of the tabloids. Her family, however, rejected Farid as a husband for their daughter, partly for political reasons in the revolutionary environment of the nation. The end of this affair sent Farid into one of the long periods of depression not unfamiliar to the sad singer, and marked the beginning of health problems that continued until his death.
Later in his life, however, bon vivant Farid, who made homes in both Cairo and Beirut, reconsidered his position on marriage and proposed to the Egyptian singer Shadia, then to a Lebanese artist, but changed his mind at the last minute each time. He said he feared that his health would fail and he would leave a young widow behind. That scenario was probably familiar to him from his romance movies and songs. In 1974, Farid died in Beirut at an estimated age of 60, with one film unfinished. Despite his many achievements, he had not fulfilled his dream of composing a song for Umm Kulthum. Rumors reported that his clan refused to bury him on the Druze Mountain, but his brother Fouad's public statement stressed Farid's wish to be buried in Cairo, where his sister died.
Farid al-Atrash is recognized among Arab musicians as the best oud player of his time C the king of oud. Singers often unashamedly imitate him, paying homage to his great talent; moreover, his voice and sad style were so unique that they could be clearly imitated. Composers found in Farid (a name that means unique in Arabic) a competent competitor and a contender for leadership in that domain. These accomplishments were particularly impressive since he broke into the art world during the age of established giants like Mohammad Abdul Wahab and Umm Kulthum, and in an era when new technology like recording and film were reshaping the field. In an effort to create his niche, Farid borrowed from flamenco and tango in his compositions. The former has a common maqam with Arabic music, while the latter was fashionable in Europe at the time. He attempted what he called "operatic" works with elegance and sophistication, catering to an elitist attitude dominant in his circles.
Arab musicologists, however, were not always in agreement on Farid's place in Arabic music. For example, in his book "The Seven Greats of Modern Arabic Music," Victor Sahab lists Sayyid Darwish, Mohamed al-Qasabgi, Zakariyya Ahmad, Mohammed Abdul-Wahab, Umm Kulthum, Riyad al-Sunbati, and Asmahan as his carefully thought-out seven. Anticipating objections that Farid al-Atrash was excluded, the author claimed that these seven had changed the "state" of modern Arabic music. Several others made important contributions but did not fit the criterion of having developed a musical concept. Sahab, however, gives tremendous credit to Farid in the chapter on Asmahan, the only non-native Egyptian on his list, for his role as a composer, and records that Asmahan sang more songs composed by her brother than any other composer. Farid's compositions for his sister included her trademark waltz song "Layalil Unss" about nightlife in Vienna from the film "Gharam Wa intiqam" (Love and Revenge). Farid and his sister were reportedly not on speaking terms when he taught her that song; they never outgrew their teenage habit of constant arguments.
Though he gives deserved admiration to Farid, Sahab points out little-known technical weaknesses. He uses Asmahan's song "Rigit ilak" (I've come back to you) to illustrate Farid's brilliant use of the oud and maqamat (theory of scale and modal structure) but points out that Asmahan's voice is almost off key in the low octave of maqam Kurd. The composer overlooked her individual vocal range when he composed the song, though a composer is supposed to accommodate the singer's capabilities at the extreme ends of the scale. Abdul Wahab admired Asmahan's voice and gladly composed for her; he also admired Farid's oudplaying and gave both of them advice as they frequented his house. However, he reportedly commented that neither one met his standards of enunciation (particularly the Arabic ha andr sounds) because they had not received training in the Quranic chanting (tajweed) that he and Umm Kulthum had.
Farid al-Atrash has clearly left his touch on Arabic music in a profound way. Oud students swear by him and imitate his improvisational style C the ultimate flattery. Vocal teachers point out his ability to sing away from the beat while starting and ending a phrase on the beat, as an incredible skill that adds to the tarab (ecstasy) of the audience. As we reevaluate our culture at the end of the century, Farid stands out as a giant who is yet to be replaced. Farid sensed his own greatness in a historical context but consciously refused to comment on it, believing that his work would speak for itself. These days, with the explosion of short songs that lack musical depth, people often reminisce about the old days when Arabic music was so rich, and artists moved their audiences with emotions. Farid al-Atrash, the sad lover who captured the Arabs' imagination, is inevitably the first such artist to be mentioned. **** Faten Ahmed Hamama (Arabic: فاتن حمامه pronounced [ˈfæːten ħæˈmæːmæ] (listen); 27 May 1931 – 17 January 2015) was an Egyptian film and television actress and film producer.[1] 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 and Middle Eastern cinema, Hamama substantially helped in improving the cinema industry in Egypt and emphasizing the importance of women in cinema and Egyptian society.[2]
After a seven-year hiatus from acting, Hamama returned in 2000 in what was a much anticipated television series, Wageh El Amar (وجه القمر, Face of the Moon). In 2000, she was selected as Star of the Century by the Egyptian Writers and Critics organization. In 1996, nine of the films she starred in were included in the top 100 films in the history of Egyptian cinema by the cinema critics in Cairo.[3]
Contents
1 Early life and career
2 Career
2.1 Controversy in the late 1960s
2.2 Late career
3 Death and funeral
4 Personal life
5 Awards, nominations and honours
6 Selected filmography
6.1 Film
6.2 Television
7 See also
8 References
9 Sources
9.1 Published sources
9.2 Online sources
10 External links
Early life and career[edit]
Faten Hamama was born in 1931[4] to an Egyptian Muslim lower middle class family in Mansoura, Egypt (according to her birth certificate), but she claimed to have been born in the Abdin quarter of Cairo.[5] She has an older brother, Monir, a younger sister, Layla and a younger brother, Mazhar.[6] Her aspiration for acting arose at an early age. Hamama said that 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.[5]
Hamama in her first film, Yawm Said (1940).
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".[7][8] 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 at the High Institute of Acting in 1946.[9]
Career[edit]
Youssef Wahbi, an Egyptian actor and director, recognised 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 melodramatic role. In 1949, Hamama had roles in three films with Wahbi: Kursi al-I`tiraf (كرسي الاعتراف, Chair of Confession), Al-Yateematain (اليتيمتين, The Two Orphans) and Sitt al-Bayt (ست البيت, Lady of the House). All were successful films.[10]
The 1950s were the beginning of the golden age of the Egyptian cinema industry, and Hamama played a significant part.[10] In 1952 she starred in the film Lak Yawm Ya Zalem (لك يوم يا ظالم, Your Day will Come) which was nominated at 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 at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival for the Prix International award. Hamama is also known for having played the lead role in the first Egyptian mystery film Al-Manzel Raqam 13 (المنزل 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).[11] Hamama was also able to make it to Hollywood; in 1963 she had a role in the crime film, Cairo.[12]
In 1947, Hamama married actor/film 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 film earned her the title of the "lady of the Arabic screen". She divorced Zulficar in 1954. One year later, she married Egyptian film star Omar Sharif. Meanwhile, Hamama continued to act in films directed by her first husband.[6]
Hamama and Omar Sharif in a scene from the 1957 film Ard al-Salam ("Land of Peace").
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 accepted. They fell in love, and Sharif converted to Islam and married her. This marriage started a new era of Hamama's career, in which the couple made many films together.[10] Sharif and Hamama were the romantic leads of Ayyamna al-Holwa (أيامنا الحلوة, Our Sweet Days), Ard 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.[13]
Controversy in the late 1960s[edit]
Hamama in Al Haram (1965).
Hamama left Egypt from 1966 to 1971, claiming that she was being harassed by Egyptian Intelligence. She had been a supporter of the 1952 Revolution, but later became an opponent of the Free Officers and their oppressive regime.[5] She said they were "asking her to cooperate" but she apologized and refused. In consequence, she was forbidden to travel or participate in film festivals. She was only able to leave Egypt after many serious disputes, where she lived in Paris, London and Lebanon.[14]
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"[15] and even awarded her an honorary decoration in 1965. However, she did not return until 1971, after Nasser's death. Following her return she played roles conveying messages of democracy. She often criticized the laws in Egypt in her films. In the 1972 film Imbratoriyat Meem (إمبراطورية ميم, The Empire of M), Hamama presented a pro-democratic 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 Want a Solution). In this film, she criticised laws governing marriage and divorce in Egypt.[16] After the film, the Egyptian government abrogated a law that forbade wives from divorcing their husbands, therefore allowing khul'.[17][18]
Late career[edit]
As Hamama aged, her acting roles declined and she made fewer films compared to earlier in her career, but nevertheless her films were successful.[19] She made her first television appearances in her late career. She starred in the TV mini-series Dameer Ablah Hikmat (ضمير أبلة حكمت, Mrs. Hikmat's Conscience).[20]
After 1993, her career stalled. 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.[21] 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.[22] She entered history as the highest-paid actress in an Egyptian television miniseries until 2006, when another actress was paid more.[23]
Hamama, with Rushdy Abaza, in I Want a Solution (1974).
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. 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.[24]
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.[20] Her most influential film was Oridu Hallan (أريد حلا, I Want a Solution) which criticized the laws of marriage and divorce in Egypt.[16][18] A law in Egypt that forbade Khul' (خلع) – a divorce initiated by the wife – was annulled immediately afterwards.[17]
Most critics agree that Hamama's most challenging role was in the 1959 film Doaa al-Karawan (دعاء الكروان, The Nightingale's Prayer), which is considered to be one of the best Egyptian films. It is based on the novel of 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.[25] After this film, Hamama carefully picked her roles. In 1960, she starred in the film Nahr Hob (نهر الحب, The River of Love)[26] 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.
Death and funeral[edit]
Faten Hamama died on 17 January 2015, aged 83. Her son Tarek Sharif did not state the cause of her death.[27]
Tributes soon poured in from across the film industry following her death, as well as from government figures. Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who was on a visit abroad, mourned her death and sent an envoy to her funeral, while a statement from his office described her as a person of "high creative value." "She will remain a symbol of the genuine Egyptian art and commitment to its ethics," the statement added.[28][29] The Ministry of Culture ordered a two-day period of mourning and a halt in all artistic activity.[30] Secretary-General of the Arab League, Nabil el-Arabi, called her a "symbol of refined Egyptian and Arab art".[29] The country's dailies gave her prominence in their front pages, with newspaper Al-Akhbar displaying "Farewell to the Lady of the Arabic Screen" as a headline.[28]
The funeral was attended by thousands of mourners who blocked traffic around the mosque where the ceremony was being held. The event was broadcast live on a private channel.[30] Attendees included Minister of Culture Gaber Asfour, former presidential candidate Amr Moussa, as well as several actors and actresses, but not Omar Sharif (who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, dying at the same age less than six months later).[29] King Mohammed VI of Morocco assigned his country's ambassador in Cairo to attend the funeral.[31]
Personal life[edit]
While filming Abu Zayd al-Hilali (أبو زيد الهلالى) in 1947, she and director Ezzel Dine Zulficar fell in love and wed. The 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.[5] The two remained friends, and Hamama continued to star in his films after the divorce. They had one child, a 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. However, after nearly two decades together, the couple divorced in 1974; they had one son, Tarek Sharif.[5] The couple also have two grandsons from Tarek, Omar Sharif Jr. and Karem Sharif. Omar Sharif Jr. followed his grandfathers road to fame and now acts in the U.S. in small roles and is an LGBTQ activist.
Hamama later married Mohamed Abdel Wahab Mahmoud, an Egyptian doctor.[32] They resided in Cairo until her death on 17 January 2015 following a short illness.[33]
Hamama was fluent in French, as she did an interview in French in Lebanon in 1963.[34] She was a practicing Muslim.[35]
Awards, nominations and honours[edit]
Further information: List of Faten Hamama's awards and nominations
Throughout Hamama's career, she received numerous accolades for best actress, and was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival’s Prix International for her role in 1950's Your Day Will Come.[36] She received her first award in 1951 for her role in I'm the Past, which was presented to her by different venues, including the Egyptian Catholic Center for Cinema. The country's Ministry of Guidance also awarded her the title of Best Actress in both 1955 and 1961. These were followed by many different awards for best actress from various national and international events.[37] International ones included special awards at the first Tehran International Film Festival in 1972 for her role in The Thin Thread, and again at the 1977 Tehran Film Festival for her role in Mouths and Rabbits.[38] In 1973, she received the Special Award at the Moscow International Film Festival for her role in Empire M. Hamama's other international accolades included the Best Actress awards at the Jakarta Film Festival in 1963 for her role in The Open Door,[37][39] and at the Carthage Film Festival in 1988 for her role in Bitter Days, Nice Days.[38]
Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser awarding Faten Hamama the Decoration of the Republic, 1965.
Hamama was also a recipient of the Lebanese Order of Merit in 1984 for her role in The Night of Fatma's Arrest.[37] She was later presented lifetime achievement awards, including one at the Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival in 1993, and another at the Dubai International Film Festival in 2009.[38] In 2001, the Egyptian Writers and Critics Organization chose her as "Star of the Century" at the Alexandria International Film Festival, honouring her lengthy career in Egyptian cinema.[40]
Hamama was also honoured on several other occasions. Some of those include:
Decoration of Creativity of First Degree, from Lebanese Prime Minister Prince Khaled Chehab (1953)[41]
Decoration of the Republic of First Degree for Art, from Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser (1965)[41]
Decoration of the State of the First Order, from Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (1976)[41]
Decoration of the Cedar, from Lebanese President Émile Lahoud (2001)[42]
Decoration of Intellectual Competence, from King Mohammed VI of Morocco (2001)[42]
On 14 June 2013, the American University of Beirut awarded Faten Hamama with an honorary doctorate. The University President Peter Dorman introduced the Egyptian actress as an “icon, legend, and luminary.” However, “I feel a great happiness, today, greater than any gift that I have ever received. Currently, there is a massive attack on art, culture and anything related to literature. So this honorary doctorate will not only make me happy, but will bring happiness to all the artists and cultured people in Egypt and the Arab world.” said Hamama.
A Google Doodle on 27 May 2016 commemorated Hamama’s 85th birth anniversary.[43]
Selected filmography[edit]
Main article: Filmography of Faten Hamama
Film[edit]
Year International title Arabic title Role
1939 Happy Day Yawm Said, يوم سعيد Aneesa
1944 Bullet in the Heart Rossassa Fel Qalb, رصاصة في القلب Najwah
1946 Angel of Mercy Malak al-Rahma, ملاك الرحمة Thoraya
1947 Abu Zayd al-Hilali Abu Zayd al-Hilali, أبو زيد الهلالي Caliph's daughter
1948 The Small Millionaire Al-Millionairah al-Saghirah, المليونيرة الصغيرة Pilot's girlfriend
Immortality Khulood, خلود Laila / Amal
The Two Orphans Al-Yateematain, اليتيمتين Ne'mat
Towards Glory Nahwa al-Majd, نحو المجد Suhair
1949 Chair of Confession Kursi al-I'tiraf, كرسي الاعتراف Phileberta
Lady of the House Sitt al-Bayt, ست البيت Elham
Every House Has a Man 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, لك يوم يا ظالم Ne'mat
I'm The Past Ana al-Madi, أنا الماضي Elham's daughter
1952 House Number 13 Al-Manzel Raqam 13, المنزل رقم 13 Nadia
Immortal Song Lahn al-Kholood, لحن الخلود Wafa'
Miss Fatimah Al-Ustazah Fatimah, الأستاذة فاطمة Fatimah
1953 A'isha A'isha, عائشة A'isha
Date with Life Maw'ed Ma' al-Hayat, موعد مع الحياة Amal
1954 Pity My Tears Irham Dmoo'i, ارحم دموعي Amal
Traces in the Sand Athar Fi al-Rimal, أثار في الرمال Ragia
The Unjust Angel Al-Malak al-Zalem, الملاك الظالم Nadia
Always with You Dayman Ma'ak, دائما معاك Tefeeda
Date with Happiness Maw'ed Ma' al-Sa'adah, موعد مع السعادة Ehsan / Amal
Struggle in the Valley Sira' Fi al-Wadi, صراع في الوادي Amal
1955 Our Beautiful Days Ayyamna al-Holwa, أيامنا الحلوة Hoda
Love and Tears Hob Wa Dumoo'', حب و دموع Fatimah
1956 Love Date Maw'ed Gharam, موعد غرام Nawal
Struggle in the Pier Sira' Fi al-Mina, صراع في الميناء Hameedah
1957 Road of Hope Tareeq al-Amal, طريق الأمل Faten
Land of Peace Ard al-Salam, أرض السلام Salma
Sleepless La Anam, لا أنام Nadia Lotfy
1958 The Barred Road Al-Tareeq al-Masdood, الطريق المسدود Fayza
The Virgin Wife Al-Zawjah al-Azra', الزوجة العذراء Mona
Lady of the Castle Sayyidat al-Qasr, سيدة القصر Sawsan
1959 Among the Ruins Bayn al-Atlal, بين الأطلال Mona
The Nightingale's Prayer Doaa al-Karawan, دعاء الكروان Amnah
1960 River of Love 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, لا تطفئ الشمس Layla
1962 The Miracle[44] Al-Mu'jiza, المعجزة Layla
1963 Cairo (USA) Cairo Amina
No Time For Love[45] La Waqt Lil Hob, لا وقت للحُب Fawziyah
The Open Door[37] Al-Bab al-Maftooh, الباب المفتوح Laila
The Last Night Al-Laylah al-Akheera, الليلة الأخيرة Nadia / Fawziyah
1965 The Sin Al-Haram, الحرام Azizah
Story of a Lifetime[46] Hikayet al-'Omr Kolloh, حكاية العمر كلّه Nadia
The Confession[47] Al-'Itriaf, الاعتراف Nawal
1966 Something in My Life[47] Shai' Fi Hayati, شيء في حياتي A'ida
1970 The Great Love[47] Al-Hob al-Kabeer, الحب الكبير Hanan
1971 The Thin Thread[47] Al-Khayt al-Rfee, الخيط الرفيع Mona
1972 M Empire Imbratoriyat Meem, امبراطورية ميم Mona
1974 My Love[47] Habibati, حبيبتي Samia
I Need a Solution Oridu Hallan, أريدُ حلاً Fawziyah
1977 Mouths and Rabbits[47] Afwah wa Araneb, أفواه و أرانب Ne'mat
1979 No Condolences for Ladies[47] Wa La 'Aza'a Lil Sayyidat, ولا عزاء للسيدات Rawya
1985 The Night of Fatima's Arrest[47] Laylat al-Qabd 'Ala Fatimah, ليلة القبض على فاطمة Fatimah
1988 Sweet Days.. Bitter Days[47] Yawm Mur Yawm Hilw, يوم مر.. يوم حلو Aisha
1993 Land of Dreams[47] Ard al-Ahlam, أرض الأحلام Nargis
Television[edit]
Year Title Arabic Role
1991 Miss Hikmat's Conscience (mini-series)[48] Dameer Ablah Hikmat, ضمير أبلة حكمت Hikmat
2000 Face of the Moon (mini-series) Wajh al-Qamar, وجه القمر Ibtisam al-Bostany
****Faten Ahmed Hamama (Arabic: فاتن حمامه pronounced [ˈfæːten ħæˈmæːmæ] (listen); 27 May 1931 – 17 January 2015) was an Egyptian film and television actress and film producer.[1] 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 and Middle Eastern cinema, Hamama substantially helped in improving the cinema industry in Egypt and emphasizing the importance of women in cinema and Egyptian society.[2]
After a seven-year hiatus from acting, Hamama returned in 2000 in what was a much anticipated television series, Wageh El Amar (وجه القمر, Face of the Moon). In 2000, she was selected as Star of the Century by the Egyptian Writers and Critics organization. In 1996, nine of the films she starred in were included in the top 100 films in the history of Egyptian cinema by the cinema critics in Cairo.[3]
Contents
1 Early life and career
2 Career
2.1 Controversy in the late 1960s
2.2 Late career
3 Death and funeral
4 Personal life
5 Awards, nominations and honours
6 Selected filmography
6.1 Film
6.2 Television
7 See also
8 References
9 Sources
9.1 Published sources
9.2 Online sources
10 External links
Early life and career[edit]
Faten Hamama was born in 1931[4] to an Egyptian Muslim lower middle class family in Mansoura, Egypt (according to her birth certificate), but she claimed to have been born in the Abdin quarter of Cairo.[5] She has an older brother, Monir, a younger sister, Layla and a younger brother, Mazhar.[6] Her aspiration for acting arose at an early age. Hamama said that 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.[5]
Hamama in her first film, Yawm Said (1940).
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".[7][8] 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 at the High Institute of Acting in 1946.[9]
Career[edit]
Youssef Wahbi, an Egyptian actor and director, recognised 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 melodramatic role. In 1949, Hamama had roles in three films with Wahbi: Kursi al-I`tiraf (كرسي الاعتراف, Chair of Confession), Al-Yateematain (اليتيمتين, The Two Orphans) and Sitt al-Bayt (ست البيت, Lady of the House). All were successful films.[10]
The 1950s were the beginning of the golden age of the Egyptian cinema industry, and Hamama played a significant part.[10] In 1952 she starred in the film Lak Yawm Ya Zalem (لك يوم يا ظالم, Your Day will Come) which was nominated at 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 at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival for the Prix International award. Hamama is also known for having played the lead role in the first Egyptian mystery film Al-Manzel Raqam 13 (المنزل 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).[11] Hamama was also able to make it to Hollywood; in 1963 she had a role in the crime film, Cairo.[12]
In 1947, Hamama married actor/film 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 film earned her the title of the "lady of the Arabic screen". She divorced Zulficar in 1954. One year later, she married Egyptian film star Omar Sharif. Meanwhile, Hamama continued to act in films directed by her first husband.[6]
Hamama and Omar Sharif in a scene from the 1957 film Ard al-Salam ("Land of Peace").
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 accepted. They fell in love, and Sharif converted to Islam and married her. This marriage started a new era of Hamama's career, in which the couple made many films together.[10] Sharif and Hamama were the romantic leads of Ayyamna al-Holwa (أيامنا الحلوة, Our Sweet Days), Ard 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.[13]
Controversy in the late 1960s[edit]
Hamama in Al Haram (1965).
Hamama left Egypt from 1966 to 1971, claiming that she was being harassed by Egyptian Intelligence. She had been a supporter of the 1952 Revolution, but later became an opponent of the Free Officers and their oppressive regime.[5] She said they were "asking her to cooperate" but she apologized and refused. In consequence, she was forbidden to travel or participate in film festivals. She was only able to leave Egypt after many serious disputes, where she lived in Paris, London and Lebanon.[14]
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"[15] and even awarded her an honorary decoration in 1965. However, she did not return until 1971, after Nasser's death. Following her return she played roles conveying messages of democracy. She often criticized the laws in Egypt in her films. In the 1972 film Imbratoriyat Meem (إمبراطورية ميم, The Empire of M), Hamama presented a pro-democratic 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 Want a Solution). In this film, she criticised laws governing marriage and divorce in Egypt.[16] After the film, the Egyptian government abrogated a law that forbade wives from divorcing their husbands, therefore allowing khul'.[17][18]
Late career[edit]
As Hamama aged, her acting roles declined and she made fewer films compared to earlier in her career, but nevertheless her films were successful.[19] She made her first television appearances in her late career. She starred in the TV mini-series Dameer Ablah Hikmat (ضمير أبلة حكمت, Mrs. Hikmat's Conscience).[20]
After 1993, her career stalled. 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.[21] 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.[22] She entered history as the highest-paid actress in an Egyptian television miniseries until 2006, when another actress was paid more.[23]
Hamama, with Rushdy Abaza, in I Want a Solution (1974).
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. 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.[24]
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.[20] Her most influential film was Oridu Hallan (أريد حلا, I Want a Solution) which criticized the laws of marriage and divorce in Egypt.[16][18] A law in Egypt that forbade Khul' (خلع) – a divorce initiated by the wife – was annulled immediately afterwards.[17]
Most critics agree that Hamama's most challenging role was in the 1959 film Doaa al-Karawan (دعاء الكروان, The Nightingale's Prayer), which is considered to be one of the best Egyptian films. It is based on the novel of 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.[25] After this film, Hamama carefully picked her roles. In 1960, she starred in the film Nahr Hob (نهر الحب, The River of Love)[26] 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.
Death and funeral[edit]
Faten Hamama died on 17 January 2015, aged 83. Her son Tarek Sharif did not state the cause of her death.[27]
Tributes soon poured in from across the film industry following her death, as well as from government figures. Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who was on a visit abroad, mourned her death and sent an envoy to her funeral, while a statement from his office described her as a person of "high creative value." "She will remain a symbol of the genuine Egyptian art and commitment to its ethics," the statement added.[28][29] The Ministry of Culture ordered a two-day period of mourning and a halt in all artistic activity.[30] Secretary-General of the Arab League, Nabil el-Arabi, called her a "symbol of refined Egyptian and Arab art".[29] The country's dailies gave her prominence in their front pages, with newspaper Al-Akhbar displaying "Farewell to the Lady of the Arabic Screen" as a headline.[28]
The funeral was attended by thousands of mourners who blocked traffic around the mosque where the ceremony was being held. The event was broadcast live on a private channel.[30] Attendees included Minister of Culture Gaber Asfour, former presidential candidate Amr Moussa, as well as several actors and actresses, but not Omar Sharif (who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, dying at the same age less than six months later).[29] King Mohammed VI of Morocco assigned his country's ambassador in Cairo to attend the funeral.[31]
Personal life[edit]
While filming Abu Zayd al-Hilali (أبو زيد الهلالى) in 1947, she and director Ezzel Dine Zulficar fell in love and wed. The 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.[5] The two remained friends, and Hamama continued to star in his films after the divorce. They had one child, a 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. However, after nearly two decades together, the couple divorced in 1974; they had one son, Tarek Sharif.[5] The couple also have two grandsons from Tarek, Omar Sharif Jr. and Karem Sharif. Omar Sharif Jr. followed his grandfathers road to fame and now acts in the U.S. in small roles and is an LGBTQ activist.
Hamama later married Mohamed Abdel Wahab Mahmoud, an Egyptian doctor.[32] They resided in Cairo until her death on 17 January 2015 following a short illness.[33]
Hamama was fluent in French, as she did an interview in French in Lebanon in 1963.[34] She was a practicing Muslim.[35]
Awards, nominations and honours[edit]
Further information: List of Faten Hamama's awards and nominations
Throughout Hamama's career, she received numerous accolades for best actress, and was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival’s Prix International for her role in 1950's Your Day Will Come.[36] She received her first award in 1951 for her role in I'm the Past, which was presented to her by different venues, including the Egyptian Catholic Center for Cinema. The country's Ministry of Guidance also awarded her the title of Best Actress in both 1955 and 1961. These were followed by many different awards for best actress from various national and international events.[37] International ones included special awards at the first Tehran International Film Festival in 1972 for her role in The Thin Thread, and again at the 1977 Tehran Film Festival for her role in Mouths and Rabbits.[38] In 1973, she received the Special Award at the Moscow International Film Festival for her role in Empire M. Hamama's other international accolades included the Best Actress awards at the Jakarta Film Festival in 1963 for her role in The Open Door,[37][39] and at the Carthage Film Festival in 1988 for her role in Bitter Days, Nice Days.[38]
Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser awarding Faten Hamama the Decoration of the Republic, 1965.
Hamama was also a recipient of the Lebanese Order of Merit in 1984 for her role in The Night of Fatma's Arrest.[37] She was later presented lifetime achievement awards, including one at the Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival in 1993, and another at the Dubai International Film Festival in 2009.[38] In 2001, the Egyptian Writers and Critics Organization chose her as "Star of the Century" at the Alexandria International Film Festival, honouring her lengthy career in Egyptian cinema.[40]
Hamama was also honoured on several other occasions. Some of those include:
Decoration of Creativity of First Degree, from Lebanese Prime Minister Prince Khaled Chehab (1953)[41]
Decoration of the Republic of First Degree for Art, from Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser (1965)[41]
Decoration of the State of the First Order, from Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (1976)[41]
Decoration of the Cedar, from Lebanese President Émile Lahoud (2001)[42]
Decoration of Intellectual Competence, from King Mohammed VI of Morocco (2001)[42]
On 14 June 2013, the American University of Beirut awarded Faten Hamama with an honorary doctorate. The University President Peter Dorman introduced the Egyptian actress as an “icon, legend, and luminary.” However, “I feel a great happiness, today, greater than any gift that I have ever received. Currently, there is a massive attack on art, culture and anything related to literature. So this honorary doctorate will not only make me happy, but will bring happiness to all the artists and cultured people in Egypt and the Arab world.” said Hamama.
A Google Doodle on 27 May 2016 commemorated Hamama’s 85th birth anniversary.[43]
Selected filmography[edit]
Main article: Filmography of Faten Hamama
Film[edit]
Year International title Arabic title Role
1939 Happy Day Yawm Said, يوم سعيد Aneesa
1944 Bullet in the Heart Rossassa Fel Qalb, رصاصة في القلب Najwah
1946 Angel of Mercy Malak al-Rahma, ملاك الرحمة Thoraya
1947 Abu Zayd al-Hilali Abu Zayd al-Hilali, أبو زيد الهلالي Caliph's daughter
1948 The Small Millionaire Al-Millionairah al-Saghirah, المليونيرة الصغيرة Pilot's girlfriend
Immortality Khulood, خلود Laila / Amal
The Two Orphans Al-Yateematain, اليتيمتين Ne'mat
Towards Glory Nahwa al-Majd, نحو المجد Suhair
1949 Chair of Confession Kursi al-I'tiraf, كرسي الاعتراف Phileberta
Lady of the House Sitt al-Bayt, ست البيت Elham
Every House Has a Man 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, لك يوم يا ظالم Ne'mat
I'm The Past Ana al-Madi, أنا الماضي Elham's daughter
1952 House Number 13 Al-Manzel Raqam 13, المنزل رقم 13 Nadia
Immortal Song Lahn al-Kholood, لحن الخلود Wafa'
Miss Fatimah Al-Ustazah Fatimah, الأستاذة فاطمة Fatimah
1953 A'isha A'isha, عائشة A'isha
Date with Life Maw'ed Ma' al-Hayat, موعد مع الحياة Amal
1954 Pity My Tears Irham Dmoo'i, ارحم دموعي Amal
Traces in the Sand Athar Fi al-Rimal, أثار في الرمال Ragia
The Unjust Angel Al-Malak al-Zalem, الملاك الظالم Nadia
Always with You Dayman Ma'ak, دائما معاك Tefeeda
Date with Happiness Maw'ed Ma' al-Sa'adah, موعد مع السعادة Ehsan / Amal
Struggle in the Valley Sira' Fi al-Wadi, صراع في الوادي Amal
1955 Our Beautiful Days Ayyamna al-Holwa, أيامنا الحلوة Hoda
Love and Tears Hob Wa Dumoo'', حب و دموع Fatimah
1956 Love Date Maw'ed Gharam, موعد غرام Nawal
Struggle in the Pier Sira' Fi al-Mina, صراع في الميناء Hameedah
1957 Road of Hope Tareeq al-Amal, طريق الأمل Faten
Land of Peace Ard al-Salam, أرض السلام Salma
Sleepless La Anam, لا أنام Nadia Lotfy
1958 The Barred Road Al-Tareeq al-Masdood, الطريق المسدود Fayza
The Virgin Wife Al-Zawjah al-Azra', الزوجة العذراء Mona
Lady of the Castle Sayyidat al-Qasr, سيدة القصر Sawsan
1959 Among the Ruins Bayn al-Atlal, بين الأطلال Mona
The Nightingale's Prayer Doaa al-Karawan, دعاء الكروان Amnah
1960 River of Love 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, لا تطفئ الشمس Layla
1962 The Miracle[44] Al-Mu'jiza, المعجزة Layla
1963 Cairo (USA) Cairo Amina
No Time For Love[45] La Waqt Lil Hob, لا وقت للحُب Fawziyah
The Open Door[37] Al-Bab al-Maftooh, الباب المفتوح Laila
The Last Night Al-Laylah al-Akheera, الليلة الأخيرة Nadia / Fawziyah
1965 The Sin Al-Haram, الحرام Azizah
Story of a Lifetime[46] Hikayet al-'Omr Kolloh, حكاية العمر كلّه Nadia
The Confession[47] Al-'Itriaf, الاعتراف Nawal
1966 Something in My Life[47] Shai' Fi Hayati, شيء في حياتي A'ida
1970 The Great Love[47] Al-Hob al-Kabeer, الحب الكبير Hanan
1971 The Thin Thread[47] Al-Khayt al-Rfee, الخيط الرفيع Mona
1972 M Empire Imbratoriyat Meem, امبراطورية ميم Mona
1974 My Love[47] Habibati, حبيبتي Samia
I Need a Solution Oridu Hallan, أريدُ حلاً Fawziyah
1977 Mouths and Rabbits[47] Afwah wa Araneb, أفواه و أرانب Ne'mat
1979 No Condolences for Ladies[47] Wa La 'Aza'a Lil Sayyidat, ولا عزاء للسيدات Rawya
1985 The Night of Fatima's Arrest[47] Laylat al-Qabd 'Ala Fatimah, ليلة القبض على فاطمة Fatimah
1988 Sweet Days.. Bitter Days[47] Yawm Mur Yawm Hilw, يوم مر.. يوم حلو Aisha
1993 Land of Dreams[47] Ard al-Ahlam, أرض الأحلام Nargis
Television[edit]
Year Title Arabic Role
1991 Miss Hikmat's Conscience (mini-series)[48] Dameer Ablah Hikmat, ضمير أبلة حكمت Hikmat
2000 Face of the Moon (mini-series) Wajh al-Qamar, وجه القمر Ibtisam al-Bostany
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