Faten Hamama

Known for ActingBorn 1931-05-27Died 2015-01-17El 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.Read more

Movies & web series

House of Ants

Sands of Gold

Land of Peace

Al-Malak Al-Zalem

Always With You

Pity My Tears

Aisha

Cup of torment

Bayoumi Afandi

The Two Orphans

Dunia

El Zuhur El Fatina

Conscience of Teacher Hekmat

Habibati

I Won't Confess

Appointment with Happiness

Money slaves

Love In The Darkness

Isalu kalbi

The Time of Miracles

Lak Yom Ya Zalem

Zalamoni El Nas

The Lady of the House

Every house has a man

The Song of Death

Cinépanorama

The Barred Road

I'll Never Cry

Tarek Al Amal

A Bullet in the Heart

Traces in the Sand

The River of Love

Witch

Bein Al-Atlal

People's secrets

Happy Day

The Nightingale's Prayer

The Sin

The Night Of Fatima's Arrest

A Tale Behind Every Door

The Sun Will Never Set

I Want a Solution

House No. 13

Like A Matchstick

The Last Night

Mouths and Rabbits

Professor Fatima

Malak alrahma