Ahmed Zaki Movies
- 2006
The life of one of Egypt's biggest singing stars comes to the screen in this biopic. Abdel Halim Hafez (Ahmed Zaki) arrives at a radio station to give an interview to a journalist, and while Halim is seriously ill, he regales his host with the details of his wildly eventful life. Despite losing his parents at a young age and growing up in an orphanage, Halim came of age with an unshakable faith in his musical talent, and was determined to overcome any obstacles to achieve success. In time, Halim becomes a beloved singer and a major film star, and included Gamal Nasser and Anwar Sadat among his fans. However, along with success comes tragedy, as Halim experiences romantic disappointments and failing health, succumbing to cancer at the age of 58. In a tragic coincidence, shortly after work on Halim was completed, leading man Ahmed Zaki was felled by cancer, much like the character he played in the film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ahmed Zaki, Haitham Ahmed Zaki, (more)
- 1996
The life of Egypt's long-time president Gamal Abdel Nasser provides the basis of this patriotic Egyptian biopic that Western audiences may find most interesting for its Arab viewpoint on numerous important historical events. Nasser was in power between 1954 and 1970. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1988
To female friends work as chambermaids and share their thoughts on life and love in this drama by director Mohammed Khan. Camelia (Nagla Fathi) chooses to remain independent and single instead of succumbing to the rules of marriage. Hind (Aida Riyadh) has a crush on Eid (Ahmed Zaki), the handsome rogue who has charmed the simple country girl. Camelia forces Eid into marriage when Hind becomes pregnant. Camelia's brother forces her into marriage to a brutish lout but she soon runs away. Hind is comforted by Camelia when Eid is jailed repeatedly for a series of petty crimes. The struggles of the two women in the lower class of Cairo is realistic without being maudlin and is ultimately a story of survival and friendship. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nagla Fathi, Aida Raiyadh, (more)
- 1987
Mona is a dreamy, sweet girl. Like everyone else in the country (it seems) she is crazy about the folk singer Abdel-Halim. She lives a decent existence in a small Egyptian town and is being courted by a handsome young police dignitary. After they marry, he receives a promotion, and the couple moves to Cairo. He has been inducted into Egypt's secret police, and there are many political niceties to be observed. Mona notices that the people they are hosting to dinner are pretty disgusting types, and she begins to have less to do with promoting her husband's career socially. Instead, she occupies herself by gambling. Meanwhile, her husband has been deeply involved in some of the shadier aspects of secret police life. While he is always ready to do whatever cruel or painful thing is being asked of him, he believes in the patriotic necessity to do so. He is shocked when he is sacrificed in a political ploy and is indicted by the courts for following those orders. He goes home after being fired and is now slightly mad, a situation which lends itself to tragedy. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ahmed Zaki, Marvet Amin, (more)
- 1987
The lines between love, sex, and politics become hopelessly blurred in this French drama from director Andre Techine. Jeanne (Sandrine Bonnaire), born and raised in Northern France, is visiting the Mediterranean for the first time, prompted by two events: the wedding of her sister, and the disappearance of her brother. Jeanne's brother is a deaf-mute who supports himself as a pickpocket under the tutelage of Said (Abdel Kechiche), and one of his only friends is Klotz (Jean-Claude Brialy), an older married man with bisexual leanings who has a weakness for young Arab boys. Jeanne meets Klotz and finds herself attracted to his son Stephane (Simon de la Brosse), who like his father is interested in both women and men. However, Jeanne also meets Said, and she finds herself infatuated with him as well, and she's soon torn between the two in a romantic and sexual dilemma that mirrors France's political turmoil regarding the nation's growing Arab population. Jean-Claude Brialy's performance in this film earned him a Best Supporting Actor award from the French Academy of Cinema. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sandrine Bonnaire, Simon de la Brosse, (more)
- 1986
In this comic parable of social and political dysfunction, a plane load of roughly a dozen people crash in the desert and find refuge in an oasis. One of the survivors, a businessman (Gamil Ratib), cajoles, cons, and connives his way to power, and once in control, has them do his bidding. He pays his "workers" -- who build his house for him -- as little as he can and punishes them with diminished wages (dates) when they are not producing up to speed. An artist (Ahmed Zaki) tries to organize the workers/passengers into a rebellion but he comes up against a peasant (Hamdi Ahmed) and others who cannot see his point. Revolution appears to be a certainty though, even if the artist initially fails. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ahmed Zaki, Yousra, (more)
- 1985
He may be just a peasant, and a young one at that, but he knows unnecessary cruelty and sadism when he sees it, and as a recruit into the Egyptian Army, he's seeing it now, at a prison for political dissidents. Even though he is deeply loyal to Egypt and is tremendously brave, he will not tolerate the evils he sees being done. This film was reportedly viewed with great suspicion by the Egyptian government and was greatly shortened by censors, who allowed the one remaining print in existence to be shown at the 1988 San Francisco Film Festival. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ahmed Zaki
- 1985
In this amusing comedy about love that will triumph no matter what, a young Egyptian couple face incredible obstacles in their desire to simply get married and then celebrate their union. Ragaa (Athar el Hakim) is from a relatively distinguished family of civil servants who do not take kindly to her announcement that she is going to marry Ali (Ahmed Zaki). Although Ali is educated, he is, alas, unemployed. But the couple persevere, their engagement is announced, and they start looking for a place to live. When Ragaa's mother puts unbearable pressure on Ali, the couple ultimately elope -- hoping to finally enjoy a quiet honeymoon in a hotel room, away from Ragaa's interfering family. Unfortunately, their peaceful sojourn is anything but, and so they escape the hotel and go to Giza. There, on the first step of one of the pyramids, they are arrested by the police for indecent conduct in a public place -- though one can hardly fault the police for deciding that the pyramids were not built for the purpose envisioned by the young couple.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ahmed Zaki
- 1981
When a taxi driver picks up an unhappily married couple he has no idea where this chance encounter will eventually lead. The husband takes a dislike to him at once, the taxi driver begins to get interested in the wife, and his wife, tired of her overbearing husband, is amenable to a new relationship. After picking them up on other occasions, the driver and the wife finally get together while her husband is in the hospital for a brief stay. Unfortunately, the woman becomes pregnant from her brief liaison, and her husband knows immediately who the father must be - certainly not himself since she has avoided him for some time now. His anger is uncontrollable and when he pulls out a gun to finish her off, she runs away -- meanwhile, the taxi driver is speeding furiously to reach her before things get worse. This scenario seems almost certain to set either or both of them on a collision course with fate. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ahmed Zaki, Fardous Abdel Hamid, (more)
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