Egyptian Cinema | |
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No. of screens | 221 (2015)[1] |
• Per capita | 0.4 per 100,000 (2010)[1] |
Main distributors | The Trinity: (Nasr - Oscar - El Massah) Cinema Masr Sphinix Studio Masr[2] |
Produced feature films (2005–2009)[3] | |
Total | 42 (average) |
Number of admissions (2015)[4] | |
Total | 9,561,000 |
Gross box office (2015)[4] | |
Total | $267 million |
The cinema of Egypt refers to the flourishing film industry based in Cairo, sometimes also referred to as Hollywood on the Nile.[5] Since 1976, the capital has held the annual Cairo International Film Festival, which has been accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations.[6] There are an additional 12 festivals. Of the more than 4,000 short and feature-length films made in MENA region since 1908, more than three-quarters were Egyptian films.[7][8][9] Egyptian films are typically spoken in the Egyptian Arabic dialect.
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A limited number of silent films were made in Egypt beginning in 1896; 1927's Laila was notable as the first full-length feature. Cairo's film industry became a regional force with the coming of sound. Between 1930 and 1936, various small studios produced at least 44 feature films. In 1936, Studio Misr, financed by industrialist Talaat Harb, emerged as the leading Egyptian equivalent to Hollywood's major studios, a role the company retained for three decades.[10]
Historians disagree in determining the beginning of cinema in Egypt. Some say in 1896, when the first film was watched in Egypt, while others date the beginning from 20 June 1907 with a short documentary film about the visit of Khedive Abbas Hilmi II to the Institute of Mursi Abul-Abbas in Alexandria. In 1917, the director Mohammed Karim established a production company in Alexandria. The company produced two films: Dead Flowers and Honor the Bedouin, which were shown in the city of Alexandria in early 1918.
Since then, more than 4,000 films have been produced in Egypt, three quarters of the total Arab production. Historian Samir Kassir notes (2004) that Misr Studios in particular, "despite their ups and downs, were to make Cairo the third capital of the world’s film industry, after Hollywood and Bombay but ahead of Italy’s Cinecittà."[11] Egypt is the most productive country in the Middle East in the field of film production, and the one with the most developed media system.[12]
The 1940s, 1950s and the 1960s are generally considered the golden age of Egyptian cinema. In the 1950s, Egypt's cinema industry was the world's third largest.[13] As in the West, films responded to the popular imagination, with most falling into predictable genres (happy endings being the norm), and many actors making careers out of playing strongly typed parts. In the words of one critic, "If an Egyptian film intended for popular audiences lacked any of these prerequisites, it constituted a betrayal of the unwritten contract with the spectator, the results of which would manifest themselves in the box office."[14]
In 1940,[15] the entrepreneur and translator Anis Ebeid established "Anis Ebeid Films", as the first subtitling company in Egypt and the rest of the Middle East, bringing hundreds of American and World movies to Egypt. Later he entered the movie distribution business too.[16]
Political changes in Egypt after the overthrow of King Farouk in 1952 initially had little effect on Egyptian film. The Nasser regime sought control over the industry only after turning to socialism in 1961.[17] By 1966, the Egyptian film industry had been nationalized. As with all matters in that period, diametrical opinions can be found about the cinema industry then. In the words of Ahmed Ramzi, a leading man of the era, "it went to the dogs".[18] The "heavy government hand" that accompanied nationalization of Egyptian film "stifled innovative trends and sapped its dynamism".[19] However, most of the 44 Egyptian films featuring in the best 100 Egyptian films list of all time were produced during that period. Notable titles includes; The Night of Counting The Years, Aghla Min Hayati, Cairo Station, My Wife, the Director General, Saladin the Victorious, The Postman, Back Again, Soft Hands, and The Land.
By the 1970s, Egyptian films struck a balance between politics and entertainment. Films such as 1972's Khalli Balak min Zouzou (Watch out for Zouzou), starring "the Cinderella of Arab cinema", Soad Hosny, sought to balance politics and audience appeal. Zouzou integrated music, dance, and contemporary fashions into a story that balanced campus ferment with family melodrama. Notable 1970s titles include; Sunset and Sunrise, Chitchat on the Nile, The Other Man, The Bullet is Still in My Pocket, Karnak, The Guilty, I Want a Solution, Whom Should We Shoot?, Alexandria... Why?, Shafika and Metwali.[20] Hassan Ramzi's 1975 Egyptian film Al-Rida’ al-Abyad (The White Gown) was released in the Soviet Union in 1976, selling 61 million tickets in the country. This made it the highest-grossing foreign film of the year and the seventh highest-grossing foreign film ever in the Soviet Union.[21][22] This also made it the highest-grossing Egyptian film of all time, with its Soviet ticket sales surpassing the worldwide ticket sales of all other Egyptian films, achieving revenue over $28,700,000 in 1975.[23]
The 1980s saw the Egyptian film industry in decline, however, the industry saw huge box-office jumps. In the 1980s, Egyptian cinema produced notable films, such as; The Shame, An Egyptian Story, The Bus Driver, The Peacock, The Innocent, The Collar and the Bracelet, A Moment of Weakness, The Wife of an Important Man, and Escape. In the 1990s, However, with the rise of what came to be called "contractor movies". Actor Khaled El Sawy has described these as films "where there is no story, no acting and no production quality of any kind... basic formula movies that aimed at making a quick buck." the number of films produced also declined: from nearly 100 films a year in the industry's prime to about a dozen in 1995. This lasted until summer 1997, when "Ismailia Rayeh Gayy" (translation: Ismailia back and forth) shocked the cinema industry, enjoying unparalleled success and large profits for the producers, introducing Mohamed Fouad (a famous singer) and Mohamed Henedi, then a rather unknown actor who later became the number one comedian star. Building on the success of that movie, several comedy films were released in the following years. The 1990s notable titles include; the industry presented notable films such as; Alexandria Again and Forever, War in the Land of Egypt, The Kit Kat, The Shepherd and the Women, Terrorism and Kebab, The Terrorist, Five-Star Thieves, Road to Eilat, The Emigrant, Nasser 56, Destiny, Land of Fear, and The City.
Since mid 1990s, Egypt's cinema has gone in separate directions. Smaller art films attract some international attention, but sparse attendance at home. Popular films, often broad comedies such as What A Lie!, and the extremely profitable works of comedian Mohamed Saad, battle to hold audiences either drawn to Western films or, increasingly, wary of the perceived immorality of film.[17]
A few productions, such as 2003's Sahar el Layali (Sleepless Nights), intertwined stories of four bourgeois couples[24] and 2006's Imarat Yacoubian (The Yacoubian Building) bridge this divide through their combination of high artistic quality and popular appeal.
In 2006, the film Awkat Faragh (Leisure Time) was released. A social commentary on the decline of Egyptian youth, the film was produced on a low budget and had attendant low production values. The film, however, became a success. Its controversial subject matter, namely, the sexual undertones in today's society, was seen as confirmation that the industry was beginning to take risks.
A major challenge facing Egyptian and international scholars, students and fans of Egyptian film is the lack of resources in terms of published works, preserved and available copies of the films themselves, and development in Egypt of state and private institutions dedicated to the study and preservation of film. The Egyptian National Film Centre (ENFC), which theoretically holds copies of all films made after 1961, is according to one Egyptian film researcher, "far from being a library, houses piles of rusty cans containing positive copies."[25]
The year 2007, however, saw a considerable spike in the number of Egyptian films made. In 1997, the number of Egyptian feature-length films created was 16; 10 years later, that number had risen to 40. Box office records have also risen significantly, as Egyptian films earned around $50 million.[citation needed]
Main article: Cairo International Film Festival |
Since 1952, Cairo has held The Catholic Center film festival. It is the oldest film festival in the Middle East and Africa. It is specialized in Egyptian Cinema. Since 1976, Cairo has held the annual Cairo International Film Festival, which has been accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations.[6] Other film festivals are held in Egypt including:
Cinema of Egypt![]() |
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List of Egyptian films |
Pre 1920 |
1920s |
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 |
1930s |
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 |
1940s |
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 |
1950s |
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 |
1960s |
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 |
1970s |
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 |
1980s |
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 |
1990s |
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 |
2000s |
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 |
2010s |
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 |
2020s |
2020 2021 2022 |
Title | Transliteration | Year | Director |
---|---|---|---|
My Father above the Tree[26] | Abi foq al-Shagara | 1969 | Hussein Kamal |
Afarit el-asphalt[27] | Afarit el-asphalt | 1996 | Oussama Fawzi |
Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves[28] | Ali Baba wa Al Arbaeen harami | 1942 | Togo Mizrahi |
I Am Free | Ana Horra | 1959 | Salah Abu Seif |
Date Wine[29] | Arak el-balah | 1998 | Radwan El-Kashef |
The Land Of Fear[30] | Ard El-Khof | 1999 | Daoud Abdel Sayed |
Al-Go'a | Al-Go'a | 1986 | Ali Badrakhan |
The Land[31] | El Ard | 1969 | Youssef Chahine |
The Sparrow[32] | Al Asfour | 1972 | Youssef Chahine |
The Return of the Prodigal Son[33] | Awdat al ibn al dal | 1976 | Youssef Chahine |
Sons of Egypt[34] | Awlad Masr | 1933 | Togo Mizrahi |
The Days of Sadat | Ayam El-Sadat | 2001 | Mohamed Khan |
The Soft Hands | Al Ayde Al Na'ema | 1963 | Mahmoud Zulfikar |
The Will[35] | El Azima | 1939 | Kamal Selim |
Dearer than My Life | Aghla Min Hayati | 1965 | Mahmoud Zulfikar |
The Gate of Sun | Bab el shams | 2004 | Yousry Nasrallah |
Cairo Station | Bab El-Hadid | 1958 | Youssef Chahine |
I Love Cinema | Baheb el cima | 2004 | Oussama Fawzi |
My Wife, the Director General | Mirati Modeer Aam | 1966 | Fatin Abdel Wahab |
The Innocent | El Baree' | 1988 | Atef El-Tayeb |
Barsoum Looking for a Job | Barsoum Yabhas Aen Wazifa | 1923 | Mohamed Bayoumi |
A Beginning and an End | Bidaya wa Nihaya | 1960 | Salah Abu Seif |
The Postman | Al Boustaguy | 1968 | Hussein Kamal |
Fools Alley | Darb al-mahabil | 1955 | Tawfik Saleh |
The Nightingale's prayer | Doaa al-Karawan | 1959 | Henry Barakat |
Traffic Light | Eisharit morour | 1995 | Khairy Beshara |
In the Land of Tutankhamun | Fi bilad Tout Ankh Amoun | 1923 | Mohamed Bayoumi |
The Paradise of the Fallen Angels | Gannat al shayateen | 1999 | Oussama Fawzi |
Money and Women | Mal wa Nessaa | 1960 | Hassan Al-Imam |
The Island | El Geezera | 2007 | Sherif Arafa |
The Flirtation of Girls | Ghazal Al Banat | 1949 | Anwar Wagdi |
The Sin | Al Haram | 1965 | Henry Barakat |
Chafika et Metwal | Shafika w Metwally | 1978 | Ali Badrakhan |
Hassan and Marcus | Hassan wi Mor'os | 2008 | Ramy Emam |
Life or Death | Haya aw Maut | 1954 | Kamal El Sheikh |
The Choice | Al Ikhtiyar | 1970 | Youssef Chahine |
Terrorism and Kebab | Al Irhab wal kabab | 1992 | Sherif Arafa |
Alexandria... Why? | Iskanderija ... lih? | 1978 | Youssef Chahine |
Karnak | Al Karnak | 1975 | Ali Badrakhan |
The Kit Kat | El Kit Kat | 1991 | Daoud Abdel Sayed |
The Lady's Puppet | Laabet el sitt | 1946 | Waley-ElDin Sameh |
Leila | Laila | 1927 | Aziza Amir |
Angel of Mercy | Malak al-Rahma | 1946 | Youssef Wahbi |
The City[36] | El Medina | 1999 | Yousry Nasrallah |
The Night of Counting the Years | Al Mummia | 1975 | Shadi Abdel Salam |
The Impossible | El Mustahil | 1965 | Hussein Kamal |
Saladin The Victorious | El Nasser Salah El-Din | 1963 | Youssef Chahine |
Yaaqubian building | Omaret yakobean | 2006 | Marwan Hamed |
A Bullet in the Heart | Rossassa Fel Qalb | 1944 | Mohammed Karim |
Return My Heart Back | Rudda Kalbi | 1958 | Ezz-El-Din Zulfikar |
Salama is Okay | Salama fi khair | 1938 | Niazi Mostafa |
Salamah | Sallamah | 1945 | Togo Mizrahi |
The Bus Driver | Sawaq El-Autobis | 1983 | Atef El-Tayeb |
Some of the Fear | Shey min el khouf | 1969 | Hussein Kamal |
Struggle of the Heroes | Sira' Al Abtal | 1962 | Tawfik Saleh |
Black Market | Suq al-Soda, Al | 1945 | Kamel El-Telmissany |
Adrift on the Nile | Tharthara Fawq Al Neel | 1971 | Hussein Kamal |
The Collar and the Bracelet | El Tooq wal Eswera | 1986 | Khairy Beshara |
Adieu Bonaparte | Weda'an Bonapart | 1985 | Youssef Chahine |
The Two Orphans[37] | Al Yateematain | 1949 | Hassan Al Imam |
The Sixth Day[38] | Al Yawm al-Sadis | 1986 | Youssef Chahine |
Happy Day[39] | Yawm Saeed | 1940 | Mohammed Karim |
Sweet Day, Bitter Day[40] | Yom mor ... Yom helw | 1988 | Khairy Beshara |
The Wife of an Important Man | Zawgat Ragol Mohim | 1988 | Mohamed Khan |
Zeinab[41] | Zainab | 1950 | Mohammed Karim |
The Second Wife | El Zouga El Tania | 1967 | Salah Abu Seif |
The Cursed Palace | 'Al Qasr Al Malaoon | 1962 | Hassan Reda |
The White Gown | Al-Rida’ al-Abyad | 1975 | Hassan Ramzi |
People on the Top | Ahl el qema | 1981 | Ali Badrakhan |
The Blazing Sun | Ṣira‘ Fī al-Wādī | 1954 | Youssef Chahine |
Love and Tears | Hob wa Dumoo` | 1955 | Kamal El Sheikh |