The Mummy, by Shadi Abdelsalam
Bibliotheca Alexandrina will screen a restored version of the Egyptian classic film The Mummy on 18 March, followed by a discussion.
Directed by Shady Abdel Salam, the film was released in 1969 and stars Ahmed Marei, Nadia Lotfy, Ahmed Hegazi and Zouou El-Hakim.
The Mummy (also known as The Night of Counting the Years) is widely regarded as one of the most important Egyptian films.
The 35mm film was reportedly restored by Italy’s Cineteca di Bologna with support from Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation.
Set in 1881 on the eve of British colonial rule, the film follows an Upper Egyptian Hurrabat Tribe which robs a cache of mummies near the village of Qurna, to sell the artifacts on the black market.
The protagonist Wanis is torn apart between his duty towards his country and his loyalty to his tribe.
Born in Alexandria, Abdel Salam started his life as an assistant to the artistic engineer Ramses Wasef in 1957.
He later became assistant director for several foreign films, such as the Polish film The Pharoah by Cavalero Fitch, Wa Islamah by Andrew Marton, and Cleopatra by Joseph Mankovic.
As director he made a number of other highly regarded films. These include El-Falah El-Faseeh (The Eloquent Peasant), Giyoush El-Shams (Armies of the Sun), Korsi Tutankhamen El-Zahabi (The Golden Chair of Tutankhamen).
Abdelsalam was the recipient of several prestigious film awards, including the George Sadol Award (1970), the Carthage Film Festival Award (1972), and Egypt’s State Encouragement Award (1985).
Programme:
Sunday 18 March at 7pm
Bibliotheca Alexandrina small theatre, Alexandria
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