Doha Film Institute (DFI) is celebrating the legacy of Arab film icon Faten Hamama with a
special tribute on June 4 and 5.
The star died earlier this year and was among the best-known actresses of Egyptian cinema with over 100 films to her credit and a wide fan base across the Arab world.
DFI will screen two of Hamama’s films, The Land of Dreams - which was shortlisted for an Academy Award in 1994, and Mouths and Rabbits, as part of a special programme taking place at the Katara Drama Theatre.
Marking her acting debut when she was only seven years old with Happy Day, Hamama last acted in The Land of Dreams in 1993 before returning to television with the mini-series Face of the Moon in 2000.
Among her other notable works are The Nightingale’s Prayer and River of Love. Known as the “Lady of the Arabic Screen” and an integral part of the era described as the “golden age of Egyptian cinema”, Hamama has acted in films that tackled issues of social justice and women’s rights.
Directed by Daoud Abdel Sayed, The Land of Dreams marks the final film role of Hamama. She plays Narges Rihan, who is all set to immigrate to the US, the titular “land of dreams”. However, she discovers that she has misplaced her ticket and passport, and her search for the missing documents sets her on a journey of enlightenment.
Mouths and Rabbits (1977), directed by Henry Barakat, is a family drama starring Hamama as Nimaat, who lives with her fretful sister and lazy brother-in-law, and their nine children. She works in a factory to support the
family, yet they barely scrape by.
Upon discovering her family’s plans to marry her off, Nimaat flees the village and falls in love with a wealthy man – only later to discover that she’s already someone’s wife.
The Land of Dreams will be screened on June 4 (7pm) and Mouths and Rabbits on June 5 (7pm), both with English subtitles.
Tickets are priced at QR35 and students receive a discounted rate of QR25 upon presenting a valid ID.
Faten Hamama in a scene of the movie The Land of Dreams.
