Wednesday, April 30, 2014

The Beloved Country [بلد المحبوب] (Taheya Cariocca) - (1951)

The Beloved Country [al-balad al-mahbub] (Taheya Cariocca) - (1951) Egyptian film poster

Pictured is a 23" x 35" poster designed by Dimitri Gabriel and Hassan Mazhar Gasour to promote the 1951 Helmy Rafla two-hour black-and-white film The Beloved Country [al-balad al-mahbub] starring Taheya Cariocca based on a story by Abu Seoud El-Ibiary with dialogue by Abu Seoud El-Ibiary, screenplay by Helmy Rafla and cinematography by Bruno Salvi. Plot summary: A wealthy farmer owns hundreds of acres of land. He advises his son to marry his friend's daughter but she refuses because she does not want to marry a farmer. Her father pressures her to marry him because this will relieve him of financial hardship due to the money he will get after they marry. However the girl loves her cousin in Cairo who does not have money. The boy meets a dancer and and asks her to teach him the ways of modern life and how to interact with girls. He wants all of this so he can please the girl who has refused him. The dancer falls in love with him. Meanwhile the girl discovers the truth about her cousin, who abandons her after learning her father is on the verge of bankruptcy. Then the girl agrees to marry the first boy. The dancer withdraws from their lives.

Cast and crew: Abu Seoud El-Ibiary, Helmy Rafla, Bruno Salvi, Taheya Cariocca, Ismail Yasseen, Saad Abdel Wahab, Soad Makawy, Hassan Fayek, Sherifa Maher, Zeinat Sedki, Abdel Waress Assar, Abdel Salam Al Nabulsy, Wedad Hamdy, Soraya Fakhry, Zaki Ibrahim, Amina El-Said, Dalal Mahmoud, Abdel Moneim Ibrahim



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Wahiba Queen of the Gypsies [وهيبة ملكة الغجر] (Kouka) - (1951)

Wahiba Queen of the Gypsies [wahiba maliket al-ghajar] (Kouka) - (1951) Egyptian film poster

Pictured is a 23" x 35" original Egyptian poster designed by Hassan Mazhar Gasour to promote the 1951 Niazi Mostafa 111-minute black-and-white film Wahiba Queen of the Gypsies [wahiba maliket al-ghajar] starring Kouka based on a story by Mohammad Kamel Hassan with screenplay by Niazi Mostafa, dialogue by Bayram El Tounsi and cinematography by Wuhan. Plot summary: Adham Bey expelled a group of gypsy farmers from their land and the gypsies, led by Qandil, responded by kidnapping his little girl. Adham's son Sherif [Gamal Fares] and his friends began looking for the girl. Wahiba [Kouka], the leader of the gypsies, disguised herself as a pretty girl and had a meeting with Sherif. The two of them fell in love and decided to marry, even though gypsy traditions were a barrier to such a marriage. The situation became more difficult when Sherif realized that the pretty girl he loved was just a gypsy and was unacceptable to his family, and he decided to call off the marriage. Wahiba went to Cairo to break into show business as a singer and a dancer with the help of a friend named Mahrous [Abdel Aziz Mahmoud]. She met Sherif there again after she had begun to make a name for herself and no longer dressed or acted like a gypsy. He did not know her at first; then he recognized her and realized she was none other than Wahabia herself, the queen of the gypsies; they reconciled and married, but the experience had taught Sherif a hard lesson.

Cast and crew: Niazi Mostafa, Muhammad Kamel Hassan, Saad Abdel Wahab, Mahmoud Choukoukou, Sophie Dimitry, Gamal Fares, Wedad Hamdy, Zaki Ibrahim, Aida Kamel, Kouka, Abdel Aziz Mahmoud, Bayram El Tounsi, Fouad Al-Rashidi, Rafia al-Shal, Zaki Ibrahim, Sharif Hamouda, Abdel Hamid Badoaha



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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Three Devils [الشياطين الثلاثة] (Rushdy Abaza) - (1964)

The Three Devils [al-shayatin al-thalatha] (Rushdy Abaza) - (1964) Egyptian film poster

Pictured is a first printing of a 27" x 39" Egyptian poster designed by Mohammad Abdel Aziz to promote the 1964 90-minute Houssam El-Din Mustafa black-and-white film The Three Devils [al-shayatin al-thalatha] starring Rushdy Abaza based on a story idea from Lucien Lambert with screenplay and dialogue by Mohamed Kamel Abdel Salam and Behgat Kamar and cinematography by Adel Abdel Azim. Plot summary: Prisoners are breaking up rocks at Abu Zaabal Prison. Saadawi [Rushdy Abaza] is serving time for murder, Fatouh Madaan [Hassan Youssef] for selling narcotics and Azab [Ahmed Ramzy] for fighting with a fish merchant. When their sentences are served, before release they swear to live peaceful lives, especially Azab, who loves Zeinab [Nawal Abdul Fotouh] and plans to marry her after telling her family he will be taking a trip abroad. Azab asks the fish merchant Abdel Razeq [Abdel Alim Khattab] to return to him his automobile, which he has left with him while in prison. Abdel Razeq refuses and he and his men beat up Azab. The three friends meet Hamdia [Berlanty Abdel Hamid], a woman who owns a fishing boat in Suez. Like the other fishermen, she suffers from the domination of Abdel Razeq, who has a monopoly on the shipping of fish to Cairo. The three friends try to establish an understanding with him but the only language he understands is the language of force and violence. They work with Hamdia and Shalabi, Zeinab's father, buy a new truck for transporting the fish and begin a freelance business doing this. Abdel Razeq and his men burn the truck but Saadawy has insured it so he buys another one. Abdel Razeq and his men then stash narcotics in the fish the three men are shipping to Cairo thinking they belong to Hamdia. Meanwhile the police have been watching Abdel Razeq's gang while they are taking the narcotics to shore using Hamdia's boat. After a big fight they arrest Abdel Razeq and his men.

Cast and crew: Rushdy Abaza, Ahmad Ramzy, Hassan Youssef, Houssam El-Din Mustafa, Berlanty Abdel Hamid, Behgat Kamar, Mohamed Kamel Abdel Salam, Lucien Lambert, Nawal Abdul Foutouh, Abdel Alim Khattab, Nasr Seif, Mohamed Sabih, Hussein Ismail, Mohamed al-Tukhi





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Monday, April 28, 2014

Ismail Yassine in the Navy [ إسماعيل يس في الأسطول] (Ismail Yasseen) - (1957)

Ismail Yassine in the Navy [ismail yasseen fil-ostool] (Ismail yasseen) - (1995) Egyptian film poster

Pictured is a 27" x 39" Egyptian poster designed by Studio Adly to promote the 1957 Fatin Abdel Wahab 87-minute black-and-white film Ismail Yassine in the Navy [اسماعيل يس في الاسطول] starring Ismail Yasseen based on story, screenplay and dialogue by Hassan Tewfik with cinematography by Abdel Aziz Fahmy. Plot summary: Ismail [Ismail Yasseen] was a simple boy who fell in love with his cousin Nadia [Zahrat El-Ola] in the Al-Anfushi neighborhood. He asked her to marry him, but the aunt [Zeinat Sedki] opposed the marriage because she had promised the girl in marriage to an older teacher, Abbas Afash [Mahmoud El-Meliguy]. The girl asked Ismail to join the Navy because she had friends there. Ismail did this and formed good friendships with two them [Abdel Moneim Ismail and Ahmed Ramzy] while maintaining regular correspondence with Nadia. His comrades in the Navy were sad when they heard Nadia had became engaged to Abbas Afash, and they gave Ismail some money so he could go marry her himself. Then they all descended on the Al-Anfushi neighborhood and began fighting with the Afash's friends. This spoiled the wedding and Ismail married his sweetheart after the military police arrested the troublemakers.

Cast and crew: Ismail Yasseen, Fatin Abdel Wahab, Mahmoud El-Meliguy, Zahrat El-Ola, Ahmed Ramzy, Zeinat Sedki, Hassan Tewfik, Abdel Aziz Fahmy, Abdel Waress Assar, Abdel Moneim Ibrahim, Reyad El Kasabgy, Malek Al-Gamal, Leila Karim, Zeinat Alawy





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A Very Hot Day [يوم حار جدا] (Sherihan) - (1995)

A Very Hot Day [yawm har giddan] (Sherihan) - (1995) Egyptian film poster

This is a 27" x 39" Egyptian poster designed by Morteda Anis to promote the 1995 92-minute Mohamed Khan color film A Very Hot Day starring Sherihan based on a story by Mohamed Khan with screenplay by Zeinab Aziz and cinematography by Kamal Abdel Aziz. Plot summary: This film tells the story of the discovery of an unsuspected betrayal in an Egyptian marriage. Gharib returned to Egypt for a short vacation in Cairo after being away for eight years. On that very hot day while he was talking with a friend on a public telephone he saw a pretty girl have her bag stolen. Gharib chased the thief and got the bag, but then could not not find the girl. He found her name and number inside the bag. He called the number and a businessman named Dia answered the call. Dia believed Gharib was someone with whom he had made an agreement to kill his wife Hoda; this was because Dia had exposed himself to a huge financial obligation and his wife was refusing to help him. Dia gave Gharib his home address and the key to his apartment so he could do the job. Gharib followed Hoda to tell her he was supposed to kill her by agreement with her husband, and an instant bond of affection was established between them. Dia contacted his wife to express regret but his wife refused his apology and decided to leave him. She left the marriage home to go with Gharib on a journey to change the direction of their lives forever.

Cast and crew: Sherihan, Mahmoud Hemida, Mohamed Khan, Mohamed Fouad, Zeinab Aziz, Mufid Ashour, Azza Bahaeddin, Khairy Beshara, Kamal Abdel Aziz, Menha al-Batrawy, Alaa Walieddin, Menha Zeytoun, Awatef Helmy, Zeinab Aziz, Ezzat Bahaeddin, AWatef Helmy, Menha Zeytoun



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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Vengeance [الثار] (Mahmoud Yassine) - (1984)

Vengeance [al-thaar] (Sabah) - (1950) Egyptian film poster

This is a 27" x 39" Egyptian poster designed by Hassan Mazhar Gasour and Morteda Anis to promote the 1984 88-minute Mohamed Khan color film Vengeance [al-thar] adapted from the 1958 Henry King film The Bravados based on the 1958 Frank O'Rourke novel of the same title, starring Gregory Peck as Jim Douglass. This Mohamed Khan adaptation is based on screenplay and dialogue by Fayez Ghaly with cinematography by Said Sheimy. Plot Summary: When Engineer Ahmed [Mahmoud Yassin] exited a cinema with his pregnant wife Neda, [Youssra] four youths accosted them. They attacked Ahmed and kidnapped his wife. Ahmed notified the police but he could not remember the make of the automobile or its plate number. Neda went to the hospital after having a miscarriage. Ahmed decided to take his own revenge. He killed three people but was arrested before he could commit a fourth crime. He discovered he had killed innocent people and that the police had arrested the real criminals.

Cast and crew: Mohamed Gebril, Reda Hamed, Hamdi El-Wazir, Mahmoud Yassine, Farouk Youssef, Badriya Adbel Gawad, Youssra, Mohamed Khan, Fayez Ghaly, Adel Borham, Ibrahim Qadry, Mokhtar al-Sayed, Moheb Kaser, Sayed al-Hanawi, Samia Mokaram, Mostafa Kemal, Hamdy Youssef, Said Sheimy, Shaaban Hussein, Frank O'Rourke, Henry King



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Thursday, April 17, 2014

The Unmarried Mother [الآنسة ماما] (Sabah) - (1950)

The Unmarried Mother [al-anisa mama] (Sabah) - (1950) Egyptian film poster

Pictured is a 27" x 39" undated rerelease Egyptian poster designed by Wahib Fahmy to promote the 1950 117-minute Helmy Rafla black-and-white musical The Unmarried Mother [al-anisa mama] starring Sabah based on story, screenplay and dialogue by Abu Seoud El-Ibiary with cinematography by Bruno Salvi. Plot summary: A girl named Nimra who loved to sing [Sabah] fell in love with a famous musician named Monir Yousri [Muhammad Fawzi]. When Monir began preparing an operetta Nimra competed to be in it and won a place for herself. Monir's father [Suleiman Naguib] liked her and began courting her but at the same time he sensed her feelings for his son. To make Monir jealous Nimra made an agreement with his father that he would claim they had agreed to marry. This shocked Monir. At first Monir's father doted on Nimra but he ultimately had no alternative but to acknowledge their feelings for each other and support their marriage.

Cast and crew: Sabah, Muhammad Fawzi, Ismail Yasseen, Helmy Rafla, Bruno Salvi, Hagar Hamdi, Zeinat Sedki, Salah Mansour, Abu Seoud El-Ibiary, Suleiman Naguib, Mohamed Kamal al-Masri, Hussein Ibrahim, Soad Ahmed, Fahmy Aman, Saleha Qasin





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Sunday, April 13, 2014

Asghar Farhadi on The Past

This is another great bilingual interview with Asghar Farhadi, same interviewer, same interpreter, about a different film, which is the sequel to his film The Separation, called The Past [gozashteh] filmed in Paris and starring Bérénice Bejo. Farhadi has more to say here about the nature of cross-cultural interaction in the Internet age and his sense of universal connectedness and responsibility in today's world. In The Past, a woman tries to kill herself after pirated emails are forwarded to her about her husband's affair with another woman. The emails were pirated by Lucie [played by Pauline Burlet], the daughter of Bejo's character (for reasons that are not clear to me). In this interview we learn that for Farhadi this illicit disclosure establishes a connection between the man Bejo's character is divorcing [Ahmad, played by Ali Mostaffa] and the woman who tried to commit suicide, even though they never met. The plot for Farhadi's film About Elly [dar bareh-ye eli] also turns on the disclosure of a lover's betrayal, but in that film the lead character Sepideh [played by Golshifteh Farahani] lies and does NOT reveal to Ahmed [Shahab Hosseini] the fact that Elly [Taraneh Alidoosti] had turned away from him emotionally before she disappeared from his life. Either way, according to the circumstances, when the truth is known or not known about faded love the consequences could be fatal, at least according to Asghar Farhadi.



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Asghar Farhadi Talks about A Separation

In this interview the great Iranian director Asghar Farhadi talks about his film A Separation [jodai-ye nader az simin], his views on filmmaking, his education as a filmmaker and the problems Iranian filmmakers have as opposed to filmmakers from other countries. He obviously understands English, but he speaks with the help of an interpreter who is absolutely brilliant. I do not know her name but I get the feeling she is a feminist with a degree from some place like NYU, based on certain vocabulary clues such as the use of the word "gaze." Like Woody Allen, Farhadi acknowledges the special influence Ingmar Bergman has had on his work.



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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

The Watermelon [البطيخة] (dir: Mohamed Khan) (1972)

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This 1972 10-minute short (with English subtitles) was the first film by the great Egyptian director Mohamed Khan, starring Mohamed Kinawy, with cinematography by Said Al-Shiemy. As far as I know there is no poster for it.


Sunday, April 6, 2014

Tough Guy [الفتوة] (Farid Shawqi) - (1957)

Tough Guy [al-fotuwwah] (Farid Shawqi) - (1957) Egyptian film poster

Pictured is an Egyptian rerelease poster by an unknown designer made to promote the 1957 120-minute Salah Abouseif black-and-white film Tough Guy [al-fotuwwah] starring Farid Shawqi based on a story by Mahmoud Sobhi and Farid Shawqi with screenplay by Naguib Mahfouz, Salah Abouseif, Mahmoud Sobhi and El Sayed Bedir and cinematography by Hesham Wadid Serri.

The man pictured on the poster is the late Farid Shawqi (1920-1998), one of Egypt's most popular and prolific actors, who appeared in 275 films made in Egypt, Turkey and Syria. The poster shows Shawqi as a peasant wearing a traditional galabiyya, holding the tail of it between his teeth to make it easier to run.

The film is about a man from a rural area who comes to Cairo looking for work, rises to social prominence as the owner of a successful produce business and then eventually loses most of what he has and almost his life in an altercation with an arch competitor. It is a black-and-white thriller with overtones of an old-time urban gangster film. The film is included on critic Ahmad Al-Hadari's 2007 list of Egypt's 100 most important films, and it is also in the top 100 according to film critic Sa'ad al-Din Tawfiq.

Plot Summary: A man from upper Egypt named Haridi [Farid Shawqi] is looking for a way to feed himself working in a vegetable market. The work is hard manual labor but he succeeds in the employ of an important merchant named Abu Zayd [Zaki Rostom] and also with the help of a experienced woman named Husseinia [Taheyya Cariocca]. Haridi becomes one of Abu Zayd's close associates and learns all his secrets, ways of taking bribes, holding public auctions and peddling influence. Haridi then separates from Abu Zayd, marries Husseinia and becomes an important merchant. After a long series of heated and sometimes violent clashes with Haridi, Abu Zayd goes to prison and Haridi becomes the social boss of the market using Abu Zayd's methods and following in his footsteps as another oppressor. He even acquires the title "Bey." When Abu Zayd is released from prison there is a dispute between him and Haridi over a big auction. The dispute becomes a hot confrontation in which Abu Zayd dies and Haridi is arrested.

Cast and crew: Farid Shawqi, Taheya Cariocca, Salah Abouseif, Zaki Rostom, Mimi Shakeeb, Tewfik El Dekn, Fakher Fakher, Mahmoud El-Sabbaa, Naguib Mahfouz, Hassan el Baroudi, Mohamed Reda, Abdel Alim Khattab, Hoda Soltan, Mahmoud El-Meliguy, Hesham Wadid Serri, Wadid Serri, Naima Wasfy, Loutfy El Hakim, Salwa Mohamed, Mahmoud Sobhi, El Sayed Bedeir, Kamal Yassine, Nazim Shaarawy, Ahmed al-Hamaqi, Abdou Youssef



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Saturday, April 5, 2014

Torrent of Tears [عاصفة من الدموع] (Farid Shawqi) - (1979)

Torrent of Tears [assefa min al-demou'] (Farid Shawqi) - (1979) Egyptian film poster

Pictured is a 27" x 29" Egyptian poster designed by Mohamed Abdel Aziz and Wahib Fahmy to promote the 1979 Atef Salem 120-minute color film Torrent of Tears [assefa min al-demou'] starring Farid Shawqi based on story, screenplay and dialogue by Mustafa Samy, with cinematography by Mahmoud Nasr. Plot summary: When the secretary Aziza [Nahed Gabr] went to Essam [Farid Shawqi] to marry him after promising herself to him and becoming pregnant by him, Essam refused the marriage and married his client Enayat [Laila Taher] instead. Aziza died giving birth to her daughter Hedia [Hala Fouad]. An elderly neighbor named Abdullah [Abdel Waress Assar] took over the care of her daughter. Aziza had told him the girl's father was a big attorney, but refused to mention his name. The years went by and at a party Salwa [Shirin] the daughter of the attorney Essam became engaged to Tareq [Emad Rashad] who did not feel any love towards her, only the common interests between the two parents. Tareq actually loved Hedia, who had gotten involved in a relationship with him after he had pledged to marry her, but his father refused to allow the marriage. Hedia discovered she was pregnant. Kindly old Abdullah learned this and sued Tareq; he engaged the biggest attorney in the country, Essam, to defend Hedia. While Essam was preparing the case Abdullah told him about Hedia's life, her mother and how she had left her with Abdullah. Essam advised Tareq to marry Hedia so she would not suffer any longer and to relieve his conscience, which had been bothering him these many years while he had been looking for his daughter.

Cast and crew: Farid Shawqi, Laila Taher, Omar El-Hariri, Mariam Fakhr Eddine, Atef Salem, Emad Rashad, Shereen, Abdel Waress Assar, Mahmoud Nasr, Mustafa Samy, Nahed Gabr, Shirin, Hala Fouad



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Friday, April 4, 2014

Time of Love [عصر الحب] (Mahmoud Yassine) - (1986)

Time of Love [asr al-hob] (Mahmoud Yassine) - (1986) Egyptian film poster

Pictured is a 27" x 39" Egyptian poster designed by Aly Al-Sayed and Moaty to promote the 118-minute Hassan Al Imam color film Time of Love [asr al-hob] starring Mahmoud Yassine based on a story by Naguib Mahfouz with screenplay and dialogue by Essam al-Gomblati and cinematography by Ramses Marzouk. Plot summary: Two friends, the theater actor Hamdy [Mahmoud Yassine] and the merchant Ezzat [Magdy Wahba], competed to win the heart of their neighbor Badria [Soheir Ramzy]. She married Hamdy and they worked together in political theater. The police were chasing Hamdy and he sought refuge with his friend Hussein. He came upon his wife Badria at Hussein's apartment as he was trying to rape her. Hamdy thought she was being disloyal to him. He killed Hussein and was sentenced to life in prison. He learned from fellow detainee Ahmad that Ezzat had informed on him. He broke with him and told Badria he regretted the way he had treated her. Ezzat arrived and they fought. When Ezzat got the upper hand with Hamdy Badria rushed in and killed him, and she was imprisoned. The years passed. They met and neither recognized the other. Hamdy had lost his sight.

Cast and crew: Hassan Al Imam, Ramses Marzouk, Naguib Mahfouz, Mahmoud Yassine, Soheir Ramzy, Magdy Wahba, Taheya Cariocca, Abdel Moneim Ibrahim, Mohamed Khairi, Salah Nazmi, Ahmed Diab, Essam al-Gomblati, Shahira, Aziza Rashed, Samiha Tawfiq, Mostafa Karim, Ahmed Diab, Hayam Halal, Fawzy Al Sharkawi



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Thursday, April 3, 2014

The Three Faces of Love [انف وثلاث عيون] (Magda) - (1972) Egyptian one-sheet

The Three Faces of Love [انف وثلاث عيون anf wa thalath oyoun] (1972) - (Magda) Egyptian one-sheet

Pictured is a 27" x 39" Egyptian poster designed by Anise to promote the 1972 129-minute Hussein Kamal color film The Three Faces of Love [انف وثلاث عيون anf wa thalath oyoun] starring Magda based on a story by Ihsan Abd al-Qudus with screenplay and dialogue by Assem Tawfiq and Mostafa Kamel and cinematography by Abdelhalim Nasr. Plot summary: This film is epic soap opera featuring a long convoy of unhappy relationships, distraught relatives and manipulative spouses backed with a maudlin soundtrack. Dr. Hashem [Mahmoud Yassine] is a successful physician who meets many women because of his profession, among them Amina [Magda], who has recently divorced. Amina has loved Dr. Hashem since before her marriage and has been unable to forget him even though he has always told her he was not created for marriage, so she goes to see him at his apartment. Dr. Hashem asks Amina to leave because he is afraid her presence in his apartment will hurt his reputation. This is devastating to Amina, but she does as requested. Hesham proposes marriage to a patient named Nagwa [Naglaa Fathy] but she refuses because she is already in a common law relationship with another man [Salah Nazmi], which is not going well. Amina marries someone else [Hamdy Ahmed] but that marriage fails because her heart is not in it, and she goes back to Hesham. Hesham does not reject her but remains involved with Nagwa without telling her about it. There is a scene in a public place when she sees them together, etcetera etcetera.

Cast and crew: Naglaa Fathy, Mervat Amin, Mahmoud Yassine, Hussein Kamal, Magda, Ihsan Abd al-Qudus, Abdelhalim Nasr, Assem Tawfiq, Mustafa Kamel, Salah Mansour, Hamdy Ahmed, Aziza Helmy, Ehsan Sherif, Fatheya Chahine, Salah Nazmi, Galal Issa, Etedal Shaheen, Kawsar al-Assal, Naima Al Soghayar, Mohammed Abaza, Mostafa Kamel



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