Person Details

Birthday:

Aliases: فاتن حمامة , Faten Ahmed Hamama , The Lady of the Arabic Screen , Faten Hamama , Faten Hamamah

Gender: Female

Place of birth: El Mansoura, Egypt

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 61

TV Involvements: 1


Most Famous Work

Biography

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.

Most Famous Work

Conscience of Teacher Hekmat
Average
0

Conscience of Teacher Hekmat

(1991) Hekmat Hashim
Dark Waters
Average
6

Dark Waters

(1956) Hamedah
The Blazing Sun
Average
7

The Blazing Sun

(1954) أمال
The Nightingale's Prayer
Average
8

The Nightingale's Prayer

(1959) أمنة
The River of Love
Average
8

The River of Love

(1960) Nawal
The Barred Road
Average
7

The Barred Road

(1958) Fayza (teacher)
The Sin
Average
8

The Sin

(1965) Aziza
Sleepless
Average
6

Sleepless

(1957) Nadia Lutfy

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2016 N/A
1993 Narges
1991 Hekmat Hashim
1988 Aisha (Mother)
1984 Fatma
1979 N/A
Sherin / Siham
1977 Nemat
1975 Doria Azmi
1974 Samia Mahmoud
1973 N/A
1972 Mona
N/A
1971 Mona
Zebyda
N/A
1969 Hanan
1966 Aida
1965 Nawal
Nadia
Aziza
1963 Fawzia/Nadia
Laila Sliman
Amina
Nadia
Fawzy
1962 Leila
1961 Layla
Amal (wife)
1960 Nawal
1959 أمنة
منى
منى
1958 Sawsan
Mona
Fayza (teacher)
Amal
1957 N/A
Nadia Lutfy
Huda
Salma
1956 Karima
Nawal
Self
Hamedah
1955 Fatma
هدى
نادية
1954 Ehsan / Amal
Amal Amin
Tafida
N/A
Ragia
أمال
Neama
1953 N/A
فتحية
Aisha
Amal
1952 Wafa Riyad Hamdi
نعمة
N/A
نادية
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Fatima (Lawyer)
1951 N/A
انصاف
N/A
N/A
N/A
زبيده
1950 N/A
Huda
N/A
Samia Farid
1949 zenat
N/A
Elham
N/A
1948 Laila (mother) / Amal (daughter)
N/A
N/A
1947 N/A
1946 N/A
N/A
N/A
1944 نجوى
1940 Aneesa
Year Character Movie/Tv

Production

Year Role Movie/Tv
1979 Producer
1955 Producer
1953 Producer
Year Role Movie/Tv

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