Like A Matchstick
2016 · Movie
Faten Hamama
1931-05-27
•
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.
Filmography
Land of Dreams
1993 · Movie
as Narges
Conscience of Teacher Hekmat
1991 · TV Show
as Hekmat Hashim
Bitter Day, Sweet Day
1988 · Movie
as Aisha Muhammad Al-Mandali
The Night Of Fatima's Arrest
1984 · Movie
as Fatma فاطمة
A Tale Behind Every Door
1979 · Movie
as Sherin / Siham
No Consolation For Women
1979 · Movie
House of Ants
1979 · Movie
كفر نعمت
1978 · TV Show
as نعمت
Mouths and Rabbits
1977 · Movie
as Nemat
I Want a Solution
1975 · Movie
as دريّة عزمي
Habibati
1974 · Movie
as Samia Mahmoud
The Song of Death
1973 · Movie
Empire M
1972 · Movie
as Mona
I Want This Man
1972 · Movie
Sands of Gold
1971 · Movie
as Zebyda
The Thin Thread
1971 · Movie
as Mona
Witch
1971 · Movie
as سعاد
Big Love
1969 · Movie
as Hanan
Something in My Life
1966 · Movie
as عايدة
The Sin
1965 · Movie
as Aziza
The Confession
1965 · Movie
as Nawal
Story of a Lifetime
1965 · Movie
as Nadia
The Last Night
1963 · Movie
as Fawzia/Nadia
Cairo
1963 · Movie
as Amina
The Open Door
1963 · Movie
as Laila Sliman
No Time for Love
1963 · Movie
as Fawzy
Shadow of Treason
1963 · Movie
as Nadia
The Miracle
1962 · Movie
as Leila
The Sun Will Never Set
1961 · Movie
as Layla
I Won't Confess
1961 · Movie
as Amal (wife)
The River of Love
1960 · Movie
as نوال
The Nightingale's Prayer
1959 · Movie
as أمنة
Among the Ruins
1959 · Movie
as منى
Sayedat el kasr
1958 · Movie
as Sawsan
The Barred Road
1958 · Movie
as Fayza (teacher) - فايزة راشد
The Virgin Wife
1958 · Movie
as منى
Till We Meet
1958 · Movie
as Amal
Sleepless
1957 · Movie
as Nadia Lutfy
I'll Never Cry
1957 · Movie
as Huda
The Road of Hope
1957 · Movie
as سنية
Land of Peace
1957 · Movie
as Salma
Appointment with Love
1956 · Movie
as Nawal
Struggle in the Harbor
1956 · Movie
as Hamedah
Ways of the Heart
1956 · Movie
as Karima
Cinépanorama
1956 · TV Show
as Self
Love and Tears
1955 · Movie
as Fatma
Our Best Days
1955 · Movie
as هدى
God Is on Our Side
1955 · Movie
as نادية
The Blazing Sun
1954 · Movie
as Amal أمال
Qolob El Nas
1954 · Movie
as Neama
Al-Malak Al-Zalem
1954 · Movie
Traces in the Sand
1954 · Movie
as Ragia
Always With You
1954 · Movie
as Tafida
Pity My Tears
1954 · Movie
as Amal Amin - آمال أمين
Appointment with Happiness
1954 · Movie
as Ehsan / Amal
Aisha
1953 · Movie
as Aisha
Appointment with Life
1953 · Movie
as Amal
Money slaves
1953 · Movie
as فتحية
Love In The Darkness
1953 · Movie
بعد الوداع
1953 · Movie
Orphans' money
1952 · Movie
as Zahira - زهيرة
Cup of torment
1952 · Movie
as نعمة
Isalu kalbi
1952 · Movie
Immortal Song
1952 · Movie
as Wafa Riyad Hamdi
House No. 13
1952 · Movie
as نادية
Professor Fatima
1952 · Movie
as Fatima (Lawyer)
The Time of Miracles
1952 · Movie
as نعمت ابراهيم
The Great Clown
1952 · Movie
El Zuhur El Fatina
1952 · Movie
as Karima
Farewell My Love
1951 · Movie
أشكى لمين
1951 · Movie
Son of the Nile
1951 · Movie
as زبيده
Lak Yom Ya Zalem
1951 · Movie
as انصاف
Ana bint Nass
1951 · Movie
People's secrets
1951 · Movie
I Am the Past
1950 · Movie
as Samia Farid
Ethics for Sale
1950 · Movie
Baba Amin
1950 · Movie
as Huda
Zalamoni El Nas
1950 · Movie
as Nemat
The Lady of the House
1949 · Movie
as إلهام حامد عبد العزيز
Every house has a man
1949 · Movie
as فاتن أنيس كامل
Bayoumi Afandi
1949 · Movie
as zenat
Chair of Confession
1949 · Movie
Khulud
1948 · Movie
as Laila (mother) / Amal (daughter)
The Two Orphans
1948 · Movie
as نعمت
Punishment
1948 · Movie
as ابتسام بنت محسن
Towards glory
1948 · Movie
Confused life
1948 · Movie
No image
الحلقة المفقودة
1948 · Movie
The Little Millionaire
1948 · Movie
Abu Zeid el Hilali
1947 · Movie
The red mask
1947 · Movie
She was an angel
1947 · Movie
الهانم
1947 · Movie
Light from the sky
1947 · Movie
Dunia
1946 · Movie
as Nadia Fathy Bey
Malak alrahma
1946 · Movie
as Thurya - ثريا
Angels in Hell
1946 · Movie
The white angel
1946 · Movie
The beginning of the month
1945 · Movie
A Bullet in the Heart
1944 · Movie
as نجوى
Happy Day
1940 · Movie
as أنيسة - طفلة
