Faten Hamama
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| Faten Hamama | |
 Hamama from the movie Al-Haram |
|
| Birth name | Faten Ahmed Hamama |
| Born | May 27, 1931 (age 75) Al Mansurah, Egypt |
| Other name(s) | Lady of the Arabic Screen |
| Official site | Faten Hamama |
| Spouse(s) | Ezzel Dine Zulficar (1947–1954) Omar Sharif (1955–1974) |
Faten Hamama (Arabic: فاتن حمامة), known as "the lady of Arabic screen" (سيدة الشاشة العربية, pronounced "sayyidat al-shasha al-Arabiya") (b. 27 May 1931) is a prolific Egyptian actress, considered by many a legend and a major icon in Arabic cinema for her contributions to the cinema industry in Egypt and for her role to help emphasize the importance of women in cinema and the Arabic society. Hamama started her acting career in 1939, when she was only eight years old. She did many successful movies in her youth which helped in establishing herself as a distinguished actress. In her middle age she was already considered one of the greatest Arabic actresses. The films she acted in this period were her most remarkable; some of her films even helped shape the modern Egyptian society[1]. Her movies had a profound effect on Egyptian cinema.
In 1996, during the Egyptian Cinema Centennial, she was awarded the Best Actress award; additionally, 18 of her 100 films were selected amongst the best 150 films of Egyptian productions. In 1999 she received a Ph.D. from the American University in Cairo and in the year 2000 she was chosen as Star of the Century by the Egyptian Writers and Critics organization. She also received the Lebanese Cedar decoration in 2001[2], which is one of the most prestigious Lebanese awards; Hamama was awarded the Arabic Woman award in the same year.
Her return to acting after a very long absence in 2000 received huge attention from the media. Her TV drama mini-series Wajh al-Qamar (وجه القمر, "The Face of the Moon") was broadcasted on 24 Arabic TV channels during the month of Ramadan. In the series, Hamama played the role of a prominent TV presenter and portrayed and criticized many problems in the Egyptian and Arabic society[3] and was awarded the Egyptian Best TV Actor of the year; the series won the Best Series award too[4].
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Faten Hamama was born on 27 May 1931 in Al Mansurah, Egypt according to her birth certificate, but she claims she was born in Cairo, in the Abdeen quarter[5]. Her father, Ahmed Hamama, worked as an employer in the Egyptian Ministry of Education. Her passion for acting started when she was only six years old, when her father took her to the theater to see a Assia Dagher movie; when the audience clapped for Assia, she told her father she felt they were clapping for her[5].
[edit] Early Career
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 movie Yawm Sa'eed (يوم سعيد, "Happy Day", 1940). 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 movie Rasasah Fi al-Qalb (رصاصة في القلب, "Bullet in the Heart", 1944) and in another movie two years later, Dunya (دنيا, "Universe", 1946). After her success, Hamama moved with her parents to Cairo and started her study in the High Institute of Acting in 1946[6].
[edit] Hamama and Yousef Wehbi
Yousef Wehbi, a famous Egyptian director and actor, realized the young actress's talent in acting so he offered her a lead role in the 1946 movie Mullak al-Rahma (مُلاك الرحمة, "Mercy Possessors"). 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 3 movies with Wehbi. Kursi al-I'etraf (كرسي الاعتراف, "Chair of Confession"), Al-Yateematain (اليتيمتين, "The Two Orphans"), and Sït al-Bayt (ست البيت, "Lady of the House") were all successful movies.
The 1950s were the beginning of the golden age of the Egyptian cinema industry and Hamama was a big part of it. In 1952 she starred in the movie Lak Yawm Ya Zalem (لك يوم يا ظالم, "Your Day will Come") which was nominated in 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, "Fight in the Valley", 1954) which was a strong nominee in the 1954 Cannes Film Festival for the Prix International award. Hamama is also known for playing the lead role in the first mystery movie Manzel Raqam 13 (منزل رقم 13, "House Number 13"). In 1963, she received an award for her role in the political movie La Waqt Lel Hob (لا وقت للحب, "No Time for Love")[7].
[edit] Hamama and Omar Sharif
In 1947, Hamama married the director and writer Ezzel Dine Zulficar while filming the Abuzeid al-Hilali (أبو زيد الهلالي) movie. They started a production company which produced the movie Maw'ed Ma' al-Hayat (موعد مع الحياة, "Date with Life") in which she starred. This particular movie earned her the title of the "lady of the Arabic screen". She divorced al-Faqqar in 1954 and a year later, she married the famous actor Omar Sharif. In spite of that, Hamama still acted in movies of his direction.
Their story together was unusual. In a Yousef Shahin movie, Fight in the Valley, Hamama refused to have the Egyptian actor Shukri Sarhan as a co-star, and Shahin offered Omar Sharif the role. Omar had just graduated from college then and was working with his father; Hamama accepted him as her co-star. Hamama had never accepted to act any scene involving a kiss in her career, but she shockingly accepted to do so in this movie. The two fell in love and Omar Sharif converted to Islam and married her. The couple did most of their movies together, often sharing a romantic relationship and their actions and lives were major media topics.
[edit] Controversy in the late 1960s
Hamama left Egypt from 1966 to 1971 because she claimed she had been continuously disturbed by the Egyptian intelligence. She refused to cooperate. The Egyptian authorities made her suffer, she wasn't allowed to travel or participate in festivals and was only able to leave Egypt after a huge controversial debate[5]. She lived in Beirut and London during this period.
While she was away, then president Gamal Abdel Nasser asked famous writers and journalists and connected friends to try to convince her to return to Egypt. He called her a "national treasure"[8] and he even awarded her an honorary badge in the early 1960's. Hamama didn't return until 1971 but Abdel Nasser had passed away. When she returned, she played critical roles with messages of democracy as in the 1972 movie Imbarotiriyat Meem (امبراطورية ميم, "The M Empire") and received an award from the Soviet Union of Women in the Moscow International Festival. In her following movie, Oreedo Hallan (أريد حلاً, "I Need a Solution"), she controversially criticized the rules of marriage and divorce in Egypt.
[edit] Late career
As Hamama was getting old in age, her acting declined and she made few movies, compared to her activity earlier in her career. Nevertheless, her films were all successful box office blockbusters. She also made her first TV appearances in her late career. She starred in the TV mini-series Dameer Ablah Hikmat (ضمير أبلة حكمت, "Miss Hikmat's Conscience") and was quite successful as her first TV performance.
After 1993, Faten stopped acting suddenly. It was not until the year 2000 that she returned in the hugely successful TV mini-series Wajh al-Qamar which was broadcasted on 24 TV channels in the Middle East and received a lot of praise and acclaims, winning many awards. Hamama entered history as the highest paid actress in an Arabic TV mini-series[9]. She hasn't revealed any plans for future roles.
[edit] Role and accomplishments in Arabic cinema
When Hamama started her acting career women were commonly displayed in Egyptian movies as unrealistic and bourgeois, spending most of their time chasing (or being chased by) men. It was also customary for an actress to be shown as a sex object. In the beginnings of Egyptian cinema, the casting of female characters was limited to famous singers, dancers or stage actresses. But Faten Hamama was neither a singer nor a dancer, and with not much an experience on stage. In spite of that she was able to magnetize fellow actors as well as her audiences, which is why she was successful in a lot of her films.
Before the 1950s, Hamama had leading roles in 30 movies, in which she often played the role of a weak, sympathetic, poor girl, but that changed after this period. 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 somehow limited. Film producers saw in Faten Hamama a true gold mine, and they went on responding to the demands of audiences in local and Arab markets. She played roles of realistic, strong women, such as in Sira' Fi al-Wadi (صراع في الوادي, "Fight in the Valley", 1954) where Hamama played the role of a daughter of a rich man who was, contradicting stereotypes, a very realistic woman which helped the poor and supported them. In the 1952 movie Fatima (فاطمة), Hamama played the role of a student at the Faculty of Law who believed women were as important as men in the society[10]. In Imbarotiriyat Meem she played the role of a mother that took care of her family when her husband was not there[11].
Most critics agree that Hamama became full-fledged after her movie Dua'e al-Karawan (دعاء الكروان) in 1959, which was chosen as one of the best Egyptian productions and was based on a novel written by the prominent Arabic writer Taha Hussein, Hamama played the role of a complicated, double charactered, psychotic woman[12]. After this movie, Hamama carefully picked her roles. In 1960, she starred in the movie Nahr Hob (نهر حب, "Love River") which was based on Leo Tolstoy's well known novel Anna Karenina and in 1961 she played the lead role in the movie La Tutf'e al-Shams (لا تطفئ الشمس, "Don't Turn Off the Sun") based on a novel by Ihsan Abd al-Qaddoos.
[edit] Personal life
Hamama lived most of her life in Egypt, she was forced to live in London and Lebanon for part of her life due to some problems in the late 1960s in Egypt. She had always admired the director Ezzel Dine Zulficar, and while filming the Abuzeid al-Hilali movie in 1947, which he directed, the two fell in love and married each other. The couple had a daughter, Nadia Zulficar. Their marriage would only last for seven years, as the couple divorced in 1954. Faten said her love to Zulficar was little more than a student's admiration and love to his teacher[5]. The two remained friends, and Hamama even acted in his movies after the divorce.
In 1954, Hamama chose now renowned actor Omar Sharif to co-star with her in a movie. She shockingly accepted to act a romantic scene where the two should kiss. The two actually fell in love and Omar Sharif converted to Islam and married her. The couple did many of their movies together, often displaying their relationship romantically. They had a son together, Tarek Sharif. After almost 20 years, their marriage came to an end. The couple divorced in 1974[5]. Hamama was deeply in love with him and was very jealous and protective of her husband, which is why their marriage ended[13].
[edit] Honors and awards
[edit] Awards won
Throughout Hamama's career, she has won many awards for her acting roles[14]:
- First prize of acting for the movie Ana al-Madi (I'm the Past) (1951)
- First prize of acting and best Egyptian movie presented in Beirout for Irham Dmoo'i (Have Mercy) (1954)
- Maw'ed Maa al-Sa'ada (Appointment with Happiness) receives Prize of acting from the Egyptian Catholic Center for Cinema (1954)
- Irham Dmoo'i receives first Prize of acting from Ministry of Guidance for movies that covered season 1954-1955 (1955)
- Al-Tareeq al-Masdood (Dead end) & Hatta Naltaqi(Until we meet) receive prizes of acting from the Egyptian Catholic Center for Cinema (1958)
- Prize of acting on her role in the movie Bain al-Atlal (Among the Ruins) (1949)
- Doaa al-Karawan (The Nightgale's Prayer) receives the Prize of Acting from Ministry of Guidance (1961)
- Doaa al-Karawan received First Pize of acting from the National State award that covered movies from seasons 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962 (1963)
- Best actress award from the Jakarta Film Festival on her role in Albab aL-Maftouh (The Open Door) (1963)
- First Prize of acting from the National State award for the movie Al Leila Al Akhira (The Last Night) (1965)
- Al-Kheit al-Rafee (The Thin Thread) received the Special Award in the first Tehran International Film Festival (1972)
- Special award from the Soviet Union of Women for the movie, Empire M, in the Moscow International Film Festival (1973)
- A Diploma of honor and the Diploma of recognition for her role and the idea for Oreedo Hallan (I Need a Solution) in the third Tehran International Film Festival (1974)
- The Organization of Film Critics and Writers' Prize of Recognition for her role in Oreedo Hallan (1975)
- The Prize of Excellence in the Festival of Egyptian Films for her role in Oreedo Hallan (1976)
- Best Actress award from the Tehran International Film festival on her role for Afwah Wa Araneb (Mouths and Rabbits) (1977)
- Best actress award from the Second Cairo International Film Festival, (Golden Nefertiti Award) for her role in Afwah Wa Araneb (1977)
- Special Recognition award from President Anwar Al Sadat for her role inAfwah Wa Araneb (1977)
- USSR Cinema Prize in Moscow (1983)
- Lebanese Golden Order of Merit Prize for her role in the movie Leilet Al Qabd Ala Fatma (The Night of Fatma's Arrest) (1984)
- Prize of Recognition and Life Achievement Award from the Organization of Cinematic Art for her role in the movie Leilet Al Qabd Ala Fatma (1984)
- Best Actress award from Carthage International Film Festival, Tunisia for her role inYawm Mor.. Yawm Helo (Bitter Days.. Nice Days) (1988)
- Best actress award from the Organization of Film for her role inYawm Mor.. Yawm Helo (1989)
- Best Artistic Achievement award from the Cairo International Festival (1991)
- Lifetime Achievement Award from the Montpelier Mediterranean Film Festival (1993)
- Best actress award from the Egyptian Catholic Center during its celebration for her role in Ard al-Ahlam (Land of Dreams) (1994)
- Best Actress award from Cairo International Festival for her contribution to the Egyptian Cinema where 18 of her films were selected amongst the best 150 movies ever made until 1996 during the celebration of a 100 years of cinema (1996)
- The Honorary Award from The Radio and Television Festival for her role in Wajh al-Kamar (2001)
- The Prize and award of the First Arabic Women presented by Nazik Hariri and Bahia Hariri (2001)
- Prize of recognition from first Sala international film festival, Morocco, for her contribution to women's issues through her artistic career (2004)
[edit] Nominations
- Sitt Elbait (Lady of the House) presented in Cannes International Film Festival (1949)
- Ebn Elnile (Son of the Nile) presented in Venice International Film Festival (1951)
- Ebn Elnile nominated in Cannes International Film Festival for the Prix International award (1952)
- Lak youm Ya Zalem (Your Day will Come) selected in Berlin International Film Festival to be part of main competition (1953)
- Cannes International Film Festival selects the movie Serai Fil Wadi (Struggle in the Valley), to be part of main competition for the Prix International award (1954)
- Berlin International Film Festival selects the movie Doaa al-Karawan (The Nightgale's Prayer), to be part of main competition (1960)
- Karlo Vivary International Film Festival selects the movie La Totf'e al-Shams (Don't Turn the Sun Off), to be part of main competition (1962)
- Cannes International Film Festival selects the movie Al Leila Al Akhira (The Last Night), to be part of main competition for the Prix International award (1964)
- Cannes International Film Festival selects the movie Al Haram (The Sin) to be part of main competition for the Prix International award (1965)
[edit] Honors
Hamama was also honored on several occasions[15]:
- Honored by the Decoration of Creativity of first degree from prime minister, Prince Khaled Shehab, Lebanon (1953)
- A Guest of Honor in Moscow International Film Festival. In that event she also had an interview with Yuri Gagarin (first human in space) for the Egyptian Radio (1961)
- Selected as Jury Member for the Berlin International Film Festival (1964)
- Honored by the Decoration of Republic of first degree for Art from president Gamal Abdel Nasser (1965)
- Honored by the Decoration of State of the first order from President Mohamed Anwar Sadat during first Art festival (1976)
- Jury Member for Carthage International Film Festival (1978)
- Jury Member for Cairo International Film Festival (1991)
- Selected as the President of Juries for the first Paris Biennale of Arab Cinema (1992)
- Honorary award from the Egyptian National Festival for Cinema for her long distinguished cinematic career (1995)
- Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz selects Faten Hamama as an Honorary advisory member in the organization of Children development (1999)
- Lifetime achievement award as the Star of the Century in Egyptian cinema at the Alexandria International Film Festival (2001)
- Honored by the Decoration of "Al-Arz" (Lebanese Cedar) from Lebanese President Émile Lahoud (2001)
- Honored by the Decoration of Competence and Creation from King Mohamed El Hassan the Sixth of Morocco (2001)
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Feature films
| Year | Title | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Yawm Said | يوم سعيد |
| 1944 | Rasasah Fi al-Qalb | رصاصة في القلب |
| 1945 | Awwal Shahr | أول شهر |
| 1946 | Dunya | دنيا |
| Noor Min al-Sama' | نور من السماء | |
| Mullak al-Rahma | ملاك الرحمة | |
| Al-Malak al-Abyadh | الملاك الأبيض | |
| 1947 | Al-Hanem | الهانم |
| Mala'ekah Fi Gahannam | ملائكة في جهنم | |
| Al-Qina'a al-Ahmar | القناع الأحمر | |
| Abuzeid al-Hilali | أبو زيد الهلالي | |
| Kanat Malakan | كانت ملاكاً | |
| 1948 | Al 'Iqab | العقاب |
| Al-Halaqa al-Mafqouda | الحلقة المفقودة | |
| Hayat Hai'ra | حياة حائرة | |
| Al-Millionairah al-Sagheerah | المليونيرة الصغيرة | |
| Kholood | خلود | |
| Al-Yateematain | اليتيمتين | |
| Nahwa al-Majd | نحو المجد | |
| 1949 | Kursi al-I'tiraf | كرسي الاعتراف |
| Sitt al-Bayt | ست البيت | |
| Kul Bayt Luh Rajel | كلّ بيت له راجل | |
| Bayyoumi Afandi | بيّومي أفندي | |
| 1950 | Zalamooni al-Nas | ظلموني الناس |
| Baba Ameen | بابا أمين | |
| Akhlaq Lil Bay' | أخلاق للبيع | |
| 1951 | Ibn al-Halal | ابن الحلال |
| Ana al-Madi | أنا الماضي | |
| Wada'an Ya Ghrami | وداعاً يا غرام | |
| Ana Bint Nas | أنا بنت ناس | |
| Ibn al-Nile | ابن النيل | |
| Ashki Lmeen | أشكي لمين | |
| Lak Yawm Ya Zalem | لك يوم يا ظالم | |
| Asrar al-Nas | أسرار الناس | |
| 1952 | Min A'raq Jbeeni | من عرق جبيني |
| Salwah Qalbi | سلوا قلبي | |
| Al-Muharrej al-Kabeer | المهرج الكبير | |
| Zaman al-Ajaib | زمن العجائب | |
| Ka's al-Azab | كأس العذاب | |
| Al-Zhoor al-Fatinah | الزهور الفاتنة | |
| Al-Manzel Raqam 13 | المنزل رقم 13 | |
| Amwal al-Yatamah | أموال اليتامة | |
| Lahn al-Kholood | لحن الخلود | |
| Al-Ustazah Fatimah | الأستاذة فاطمة | |
| 1953 | Bint al-Hawa | بنت الهوى |
| Ba'd al-Wada' | بعد الوداع | |
| A'isha | عائشة | |
| Abeed al-Mal | عبيد المال | |
| Hob Fi al-Zalam | حُب في الظلام | |
| Maw'ed Ma' al-Hayat | موعد مع الحياة | |
| 1954 | Athar Fi al-Rimal | أثار في الرمال |
| Al-Malak al-Zalem | الملاك الظالم | |
| Dayman Ma'ak | دائما معاك | |
| Irham Dmoo'i | ارحم دموعي | |
| Maw'ed Ma' al-Sa'adah | موعد مع السعادة | |
| Qoloob al-Nas | قلوب الناس | |
| 1955 | Ayyamna al-Holwa | أيامنا الحلوة |
| Allah Ma'ana | الله معانا | |
| Hob Wa Domoo' | حب و دموع | |
| 1956 | Sira' Fi al-Wadi | صراع في الوادي |
| Maw'ed Gharam | موعد غرام | |
| Al-Qalb Lahu Ahkam | القلب له أحكام | |
| 1957 | Ardh al-Salam | أرض السلام |
| Lan Abki Abdan | لن أبكي أبداً | |
| La Anam | لا أنام | |
| Tareeq al-Amal | طريق الأمل | |
| 1958 | Hatta Naltaqi | حتّى نلتقي |
| Al-Tareeq al-Masdood | الطريق المسدود | |
| Al-Zawjah al-Azra'a | الزوجة العذراء | |
| Sayyidat al-Qasr | سيدة القصر | |
| 1959 | Bain al-Atlal | بين الأطلال |
| Dua'a al-Karawan | دعاء الكروان | |
| 1960 | Nahr al-Hob | نهر الحب |
| 1961 | Lan A'tref | لن أعترف |
| La Tutf'e al-Shams | لا تطفئ الشمس | |
| Al-Qalb Lahu Ahkam | القلب له أحكام | |
| 1962 | Al-Mu'jiza | المعجزة |
| 1963 | La Waqt Lil Hob | لا وقت للحُب |
| Al-Bab al-Maftooh | الباب المفتوح | |
| Al-Laylah al-Akheera | الليلة الأخيرة | |
| 1965 | Al-Haram | الحرام |
| La'net al-Manboozeen | لعنة المنبوذين | |
| Hikayat al-'Omr Kolloh | حكاية العمر كلّه | |
| Al-'Itriaf | الاعتراف | |
| 1966 | Shai' Fi Hayati | شيء في حياتي |
| Rimal Min Zahab | رمال من ذهب | |
| 1970 | Al-Hob al-Kbeer | الحب الكبير |
| 1971 | Al-Khayt al-Rfee' | الخيط الرفيع |
| 1972 | Imbratoriyat Meem | امبراطورية ميم |
| 1974 | Habibati | حبيبتي |
| Oreedo Hallan | أريدُ حلاً | |
| 1975 | Al-Haram | الحرام |
| 1977 | Afwah wa Araneb | أفواه و أرانب |
| 1979 | Wa La 'Aza'a Lil Sayyidat | ولا عزاء للسيدات |
| 1985 | Laylat al-Qabdh 'Ala Fatima | ليلة القبض على فاطمة |
| 1988 | Yawm Mor.. Yawm Holoo | يوم مر.. يوم حلو |
| 1993 | Ardh al-Ahlam | أرض الأحلام |
[edit] Television
| Year | Title | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Dameer Ablah Hikmat (Mini-series) | ضمير أبلة حكمت |
| 2000 | Wajh al-Qamar (Mini-series) | وجه القمر |
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Hamama, a revolution!, Palestinian Cinema Group.
- ^ Hamama honored in Lebanon, Omeldonia.
- ^ Wajh al-Qamar details, Aman news
- ^ Wajh al-Qamar and Hamama receive awards, Suhuf news
- ^ a b c d e Hamama born in Abdeen?, Al-Jazirah news.
- ^ Hamama enters High Institute of Acting, Mashy.
- ^ Hamama receives award, Alalam.
- ^ Gamal wants "national treasure" back, Biography by Al-Husseini
- ^ Hamama, the highest paid Egyptian actress, Biography at IMDB
- ^ Miss Fatima movie, Sakhr
- ^ M Empire movie, Sakhr
- ^ Du'a al-Karawan movie, Sakhr
- ^ Hamama and Sharif Divorce, Reham.
- ^ Hamama's Awards, Official site
- ^ Hamama's Honors, Official site
[edit] References
- Ahmed Bahaa Eldine (1985), "A unique model"
- Saad El Din Wahba (1995), Faten Hamama ... A National Wealth!
- Yousef Ma'ati (2000), Voice of the Moon
- Mohamed karim (1972 notes)
- Abdel Rahman al-Abnoudi (2001), The Star of all Stars
- Dr. Rafik Elsabban (2001), Faten... The Legend
- Tarek El Shenawy (2001), The Star Of the Century
