Aziza Sa'id's FAQ - Dancers in Mideastern Movies

Q: Where can I find dancers, dancing, and costumes in Mideastern Movies?

A: Aziza Sa'id: Here's a starting list...

Movie Title	Dancer	Description
Ahibbak Enta	Samia Gamal	(1949)
Bamba Kashar		Nadia Al Guindi, Samir Sabri et Emad Hamdi
Black Walk, The - Le Marche Noir
Dahab - Dahab	Fayruz	Directed by Anwar Wagdi, 1953, (120 mins., B&W, Arabic w/English subtitles). With Fayruz, Anwar Wagdi, Magda, and Ismail Yasin. A young child, the fruit of a common-law marriage between a rich man and his serving-girl, is abandoned on the street. She is found by a desperately poor musician who takes pity on her, and raises her as his own. Played by the precocious child star Fayruz - Egypt's answer to Shirley Temple -- the little girl Dahab shows great talent as a singer and a dancer. One of the few classic musicals to feature a child star, Dahab is a heartwarming film.
Daughters of Eve, (The Sweetness of Love) - Banat Hawa'		Directed by Niyazi Mustafa, 1954, (105 mins., B&W, Arabic w/English subtitles). With Muhammad Fawzi, Shadia, Madiha Yousry, and Ismail Yasin. The fashion runway informs this stylish film. Ismat is a glamorous department store owner and an ardent feminist. Wahid, a light-hearted painter and a gently crooning singer, falls in love with the would-be queen of feminists after she runs into him in her car. A vehicle for singers Muhammad Fawzi and Shadia, Daughters of Eve features musical pieces many consider among the best songs the illustrious pair ever sang on screen.
Destiny	Manuela	made by Egyptian director/producer Youssef Chahine, and is set in the 12th century, depicting an episode from the life of the Arab scholar who lived in polyglot Andalusia, Averroes. The movie was filmed in many locations including Syria, Egypt, Spain, and France. There's a ravishing woman character named Manuela who is a gypsy and a dancer. I guess the director and actress didn't try for professional looking dance, so what she did was not very polished, but I absolutely loved her costumes. Her hairdo was purely 1990's romantic, alas. Manuela was played by a woman of size and stature, no Hollywood sylph.
Every Beat of My Heart - Kull Daqqa fi Qalbi	Samia Gamal	Directed by Ahmad Diya' al-Din, 1959, (B&W, Arabic w/English subtitles). With Samiya Gamal and Muhammad Fawzi. Suhayr, a young dancer (Samiya Gamal), meets Fathi (Muhammad Fawzi), a music teacher and aspiring singer, in a car accident. The result of the collision is true love. Unfortunately Suhayr already has an admirer, who does his best to frame the new suitor. Dance superstar Samiya Gamal, no slouch at bringing her audience's pulse to a crescendo, shines in this delightful comedy.
Flirtation of Girls, The - Ghazal al-Banat		Directed by Anwar Wagdi, 1949, (120 mins. B&W, Arabic with English subtitles). With Layla Murad, Naguib al-Rihani, Anwar Wagdi, Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab, and Yusuf Wahbi. A screen adaptation of Franco-Arabe revue -- itself an Egyptianized version of French boulevard theater -- The Flirtation of Girls is a light-hearted comedy about a frivolous young rich girl falling in and out of love with dizzying speed. Starring five legendary figures in the history of Egyptian cinema, this film is considered among the best Egyptian musicals ever produced
Khalli balak min Zouzou - Take care of Zouzou	Tahia Carioca	Tahia Carioca - the "Arabic Marylin Monroe" was died at the age of 79 in 1999 in Cairo. She was born in 1920 with the name Abla Mohammed Karim. She studied oriental dance with Ivanova Of Cairo on Mohammed Ali stree. Her career spned more than 60 years begining Badia's Opera Square Casino. Latin music was very popular during the reigh of king Farouk. Farid Al Atrached and Rafic Hobeika used the latin american rhythms in their music. Tahia acquired her name after seing a film including the Brazilian Carioca. She asked her percussionist, Zaki, for a similar rhythm. From then on she was known as Tahia Carioca and he was known as Zaki Carioca.
Ice Cream in Gleam - Ays Krim fi Glim		Directed by Khairy Bishara, 1992, (120 mins., Color, Arabic w/English subtitles). With Amr Diyab, Simone, Ashraf Abd al-Baqi, and Husein al-Imam. Starring Egypt's most popular contemporary singer, Amr Diyab, this film is an upbeat musical about Seif, a young man who aspires to become a singer but has not yet found his own words or lyrics to offer. With the motley group of friends who gather around him, Seif comes to face the challenges of creativity within a changing society. As he rides his motorcycle through the bustling streets of Cairo, while listening to a lively mixture of Elvis Presley and Abd al-Halim Hafiz on his walkman, he is inspired to finally create his own unique musical and social identity.
Light of Her Eyes, The - Nour al Ayoun		I have a copy of an Arabic Movie, which has lots of belly dance in it. The Movie is called THE LIGHT OF HER EYES (or thereabouts) Does anyone know who the dancer is? She looks like Fifi Abdou. -- Melanie Coates If it's the one I'm thinking of, it is Fifi. She plays a woman who basically bides her time becoming a famous dancer, in order to exact revenge upon men who have wronged her. There are a few nightclub scenes and a lovely mournful song in a prison scene. It has been shown on SBS (our ethnic broadcast network) a couple of times. It would probably be on late at night or during the day, as it is not new (1980's maybe?). -- Cathy The movie is "Nour al Ayoun" starring Fifi Abdou as a poor country girl who enthralls a rich old man who helps her on her rise to fame. He turns out to have killed her father (if I remember correctly) years ago so she gets her revenge by busting him. She ends up a big dance star. Fabulous costumes! -- Tara Tuatai
Love in Karnak - Gharam fi al-Karnak	Mahmoud Reda, Farida Fahmy, Abd al-Munim Ibrahim, The Reda Troupe	Directed by Ali Rida, Egypt, 1967, (105 mins., Color, Arabic w/English subtitles.) Introduced by Dr. Walter Armbrust . With Mahmoud Rida, Farida Fahmy, Abd al-Munim Ibrahim, and the Rida Troupe. Love in Karnak is a film of great interest for Egyptophiles everywhere! It is set against the backdrop of Luxor and its marvelous Pharaonic monuments. The Rida Troupe-- Egypt's first national folkloric dance troupe -- is invited to present its first show in the Upper Egyptian town of Luxor, home of some of the most spectacular ancient Egyptian ruins, icons of national pride. Love in Karnak brilliantly brings together Egypt's cultural and musical traditions, past and present, in a vivid and refreshing way
Mandil Al Helwd Abbas Kamal	Tahia Carioca	1949
Rose Blanche, La		(1933) Film by Mohamed Karim, with Mohamed Abdel Wahab
Silences of the Palace		1994, Amel Hedhili & Ghalia Lacroix. Tunisian film. Excellent!!!!
Wedad