Ezz El-Dine Zulficar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ezz El-Dine Zulficar
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| عز الدين ذو الفقار | |
| Born |
Ezz El-Dine Ahmed Mourad Zulficar
28 October 1919 |
| Died | 1 July 1963 (aged 43) Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt
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| Nationality | Egyptian |
| Other names | Knight of Romance (فارس الرومانسية) Egyptian Film Poet (شاعر السينما المصرية) |
| Alma mater | Egyptian Military Academy |
| Occupation |
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| Organization | Ezz El-Dine Zulficar Films Company |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2, including Dina |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives |
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| Family | Zulfikar family |
| Honours |  Order of the Republic - Grand CordonOrder of Sciences and Arts |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | Egypt |
| Service/ |
 Egyptian Armed Forces |
| Years of service | 1939–1947 |
| Rank | Captain |
Ezz El-Dine Zulficar (born October 28, 1919 – died July 1, 1963) was a famous Egyptian film director, writer, actor, and producer. He was known for his special way of mixing romance and action in his movies. Many people see him as one of the most important filmmakers from the "golden age" of Egyptian Cinema.
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Early Life and Interests
Ezz El-Dine Ahmed Mourad Zulficar was born in Cairo, Egypt, on October 28, 1919. His father, Ahmed Mourad Bey Zulfikar, was a senior police director. His mother, Nabila Hanem Zulfikar, was a housewife. Ezz El-Dine was the fifth of eight children. His brothers Mahmoud and Salah also became famous in the film industry.
As a child, Ezz El-Dine loved sports. He enjoyed wrestling, swimming, and gymnastics. He even won some school championships! He also loved to read and listen to classical music. He collected every new music record released in Egypt, a hobby he kept his whole life.
Ezz El-Dine first discovered movies when he was nine years old. His older brother Mahmoud took him to the cinema. He loved films so much that he would watch three movies in a row. If he really liked a movie, he would watch it many times!
Career in Film
Ezz El-Dine was a very bright student. He even got a scholarship to study astronomy. After high school, he joined the Military College. He did this to make his father happy, but he also felt that military studies would broaden his mind.
While in the military, he met important people who later became leaders in Egypt. These included presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar El Sadat. He graduated from the Egyptian Military Academy and became a captain.
A sad event changed Ezz El-Dine's life. His father, whom he was very close to, passed away. This made him feel very down. His brothers suggested he try a new path. So, he left the military to start a career in movies.
He remembered his friend, director Kamal Selim, and their talks about movies. Through Selim, he met other future directors. He was also inspired by his brother, Mahmoud Zulfikar, who was already an actor and director. Ezz El-Dine started as an assistant director.
In 1947, he directed his first film, Prisoner of Darkness. He became known for many successful movies. Some of his most famous films include Return My Heart (1957), The Second Man (1959), and The River of Love (1960), which starred Omar Sharif.
In the late 1950s, he started his own production company, Ezz El-Dine Zulficar Films Company, with his younger brother Salah Zulfikar. Together, they produced big films like Among the Ruins (1959) and Struggle of the Heroes (1962).
Ezz El-Dine also acted in a few films, like Immortality (1948). He was a talented writer too, creating stories and scripts for almost 30 films. His last two films, A Date at the Tower (1962) and Black Candles (1962), he both directed and wrote. Three of his films are listed among the Top 100 Egyptian films of the 20th century.
Personal Life
Ezz El-Dine met the famous actress Faten Hamama while directing her in the film Abu Zayd al-Hilali (1947). They fell in love and got married. They had a daughter named Nadia. Their marriage lasted seven years, and they divorced in 1954. However, they remained friends, and Faten Hamama even acted in his movies after their divorce.
Later, he married actress Kawthar Shafik in 1954. They had a daughter named Dina. They stayed married until his death in 1963.
Death
Ezz El-Dine Zulficar passed away on July 1, 1963, in Cairo, Egypt, after an illness. He was only 43 years old. Even though he died young, he left behind a huge and important collection of work in Egyptian cinema.
Honours
- Egypt: Order of the Republic (Grand Cordon)
- Egypt: Order of Sciences and Arts (1st class)
Selected Awards
Ezz El-Dine Zulficar won several awards for his work, including:
- The second state prize for directing I'm the Past in 1951.
- Awards from the Egyptian Catholic Center Film Festival for Wafaa (1953) and Appointment with Life (1953).
- The Lebanese Press Award for Appointment with Life in 1953.
- State Prize for the best story for the film Portsaid in 1957.
- State Prizes for Production and Screenplay for Struggle of the Heroes in 1963.
See also
- Egyptian cinema
- Lists of Egyptian films
