1931-05-27 ( 93 years old ) in El Mansoura, Egypt
Faten Hamama (May 27, 1931 - January 17, 2015) was an Egyptian actress and producer. Dubbed "The Lady of the Arabic Screen", she was born in El Mansoura, Egypt. Her legendary journey started as a secret statement between a six-year-old girl and her father after they watched a film in their neighborhood theater, at which leading actress and producer Asya Dagher was present. Faten told her father that she felt the audience was applauding her as the leading actress, and her father hugged her with a vision of helping his daughter become a movie star. She won a contest for the most beautiful child in Egypt, and her dad sent her picture to director Muhammad Karim (a pioneer of Egyptian cinema). Karim was looking for a child for his new film with Egyptian musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab. Faten auditioned for and got a role in this movie, Yom said (1940) ("A Happy Day"). She impressed the filmmakers so much during shooting that she was actually given more lines and scenes in the picture than were scripted initially for her. Karim put her under contract, and four years later he gave her a role in a film with Mohamed Abdel Wahab again, Russassa fil Kalb (1944) ("A Bullet in the Heart"). With her third movie with Karim, Dunia (1946), Faten showed filmmakers and audiences alike that she was an actress ready for bigger roles. Her father, along with her family, moved to Cairo to help her in her career. She also began studying her craft at the High Institute of Acting in 1946.
Faten left Egypt from 1966-1971 because she resisted the political pressure that was applied to her. She divided her time between Lebanon and London, England. During this period Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser asked some prominent critics and writers to try to persuade her to return to Egypt, saying that "Faten Hamama is a national treasure". Her return to Egypt in 1971 breathed life back into Egyptian cinema. She insisted that her films reflect the values of society through family relationships. Her first film upon return was Witch (a short film) with Salah Zulfikar. Her role in Emberatoriet Meem (1972) ("Empire M") as a widow with six children and the struggles she endured to raise them made the film a success both critically and financially, and she earned a special award from an organization in the Soviet Union when the film was shown at the Moscow International Film Festival. Her film Orid Hallan (1975) ("I Need a Solution") which was produced by Salah Zulfikar was not only a big hit but resulted in changes to Egyptian marriage and divorce laws.
Faten Hamama is the fourth Pyramid in Egyptian cinema, a legend in her platinum anniversary, the diamond that remained shining and kept glowing over the decades on the silver screen.
Movies
Like A Matchstick
2016-08-24
Land of Dreams
1993-09-27
Bitter Day, Sweet Day
1988-02-19
The Night Of Fatima's Arrest
1984-03-26
No Consolation For Women
1979-08-23
A Tale Behind Every Door
1979-01-01
Mouths and Rabbits
1977-10-17
I Want a Solution
1975-03-31
Habibati
1974-11-18
The Song of Death
1973-01-01
Empire M
1972-11-06
I Want This Man
1972-01-01
The Thin Thread
1971-09-13
Sands of Gold
1971-01-01
Witch
1971-01-01
Big Love
1969-01-01
Something in My Life
1966-06-15
The Confession
1965-12-06
Story of a Lifetime
1965-08-30
The Sin
1965-03-03
The Last Night
1963-12-23
The Open Door
1963-10-07
Cairo
1963-07-17
Shadow of Treason
1963-06-01
No Time for Love
1963-03-25
The Miracle
1962-12-24
The Sun Will Never Set
1961-12-25
I Won't Confess
1961-10-16
The River of Love
1960-11-12
The Nightingale's Prayer
1959-10-07
Bein Al-Atlal
1959-02-08
Sayedat el kasr
1958-11-17
The Virgin Wife
1958-09-14
The Barred Road
1958-04-22
Till We Meet
1958-01-09
Tarek Al Amal
1957-11-28
Sleepless
1957-10-31
I'll Never Cry
1957-02-25
Land of Peace
1957-01-02
Ways of the Heart
1956-11-30
Appointment with Love
1956-03-05
Dark Waters
1956-01-16
Love and Tears
1955-10-31
Our Best Days
1955-03-07
God Is on Our Side
1955-01-02
Appointment with Happiness
1954-12-27
Pity My Tears
1954-10-31
Always With You
1954-08-02
Al-Malak Al-Zalem
1954-05-31
Traces in the Sand
1954-04-19
The Blazing Sun
1954-03-01
Qolob El Nas
1954-02-01
Appointment with Life
1953-12-14
Love In The Darkness
1953-06-08
Money slaves
1953-04-19
Aisha
1953-04-06
Immortal Song
1952-12-15
House No. 13
1952-09-23
El Zuhur El Fatina
1952-08-28
Cup of torment
1952-07-28
The Time of Miracles
1952-07-23
Isalu kalbi
1952-05-01
The Great Clown
1952-04-21
Professor Fatima
1952-02-21
Orphans' money
1952-01-01
People's secrets
1951-12-31
أشكى لمين
1951-11-22
Your Day Will Come
1951-11-19
Ana bint Nass
1951-08-13
Farewell My Love
1951-03-23
Son of the Nile
1951-01-10
Ethics for Sale
1950-12-29
Baba Amin
1950-11-20
Zalamoni El Nas
1950-08-14
I Am the Past
1950-01-22
Bayoumi Afandi
1949-12-29
Every house has a man
1949-09-22
The Lady of the House
1949-04-11
Chair of Confession
1949-01-01
Towards glory
1948-12-20
The Two Orphans
1948-11-08
Khulud
1948-05-03
Punishment
1948-01-01
Abu Zeid el Hilali
1947-11-10
Malak alrahma
1946-11-04
Dunia
1946-01-28
Angels in Hell
1946-01-01
A Bullet in the Heart
1944-03-27
Happy Day
1940-01-15
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