About the Artist

• Name: Faten Ahmed Hamama
• Born: 27 May 1931, Egypt (raised in Cairo)
• Died: 17 January 2015, Cairo, Egypt

Family and Early Life

• She came from a middle-class Egyptian family.
• She had two children: Nadia and Tarek.

Education and Beginnings

• As a child, her early appearances in cinema drew wide attention, making her one of the most prominent rising stars from the 1940s onward.
• She briefly attended the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts in Cairo while launching her professional career.

Career and Notable Works

• Known as “The Lady of the Arab Screen,” an honorific celebrating her artistic excellence and long-lasting influence across decades.

• Selected films:

• Struggle in the Valley (Sira' fi al-Wadi, 1954) — also known as The Blazing Sun
• I Do Not Sleep (La Anam, 1957)
• Lady of the Palace (Sayyidat al-Qasr, 1958)
• Among the Ruins (Bayn al-Atlal, 1959)
• The Nightingale’s Prayer (Du'a' al-Karawan, 1959)
• River of Love (Nahr al-Hubb, 1961)
• The Open Door (al-Bab al-Maftuh, 1963)
• The Thin Thread (al-Khayt al-Rafee'’, 1971)
• Empire M (Imbratoriyat Meem, 1972) — “Meem” is the Arabic letter M
• I Want a Solution (Ureed Hallan, 1975)
• Mouths and Rabbits (Afwah wa Aranib, 1977)
• The Night of Fatma’s Arrest (Laylat al-Qabd 'ala Fatma, 1984)

• Land of Dreams (Ard al-Ahlam, 1993) — her final feature film

• Television dramas:

• The Conscience of Abla Hikmat (Damir Abla Hikmat, 1991) — “Abla” is a respectful title often used for a female teacher
• Face of the Moon (Wajh al-Qamar, 2000) — her final TV role

Awards and Honors

• Named “Star of the Century” by the Egyptian Film Writers and Critics Association at the Alexandria Film Festival (2000).
• Received numerous Best Actress awards at Egyptian and Arab festivals, alongside high-level official honors in Egypt and abroad.

Social Contributions

• Her film I Want a Solution (1975) played a major role in sparking nationwide debate about personal status laws—regulations governing marriage, divorce, and child custody—and helped drive later legal reforms concerning women’s rights.
• Through her work, she consistently championed social and humanitarian issues, portraying strong, influential female characters.

Additional Milestones

• She spent a period away from Egypt in the late 1960s before returning to resume her career with renewed vigor in the 1970s.
• Celebrated for an arresting screen presence and a refined, measured acting style—economical in outward emotion yet eloquent through a glance or gesture—she became a touchstone for generations of actresses.

Artistic Legacy

• Faten Hamama stands as a cornerstone of Egyptian and Arab cinema, leaving a body of enduring works that combine artistic quality with popular appeal, and a cultural impact that reshaped the on-screen portrayal of women.