Shadi Abdel Salam facts for kids

Shadi Abdel Salam (Arabic: شادي عبد السلام) was a famous Egyptian film director, screenwriter, and designer. He was known for creating amazing costumes and sets for movies. He also wrote stories for films.

Early Life and Education

Shadi Abdel Salam was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on March 15, 1930. He went to Victoria College in Alexandria and finished there in 1948. After that, he moved to England to study theater arts from 1949 to 1950.

Later, he came back to Egypt. He joined the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo. In 1955, he graduated as an architect. He started working as an assistant to a famous architect named Ramsis W. Wassef in 1957.

Shadi designed the sets and costumes for many well-known Egyptian historical films. Some of these movies include Wa Islamah and Al Nasser Salah Ad-Din. He also helped with a Polish film called Pharaoh. He was a historical expert for this movie. He made sure the decorations, costumes, and accessories looked just right.

He directed a long movie called The Night of Counting the Years (Al-Momiaa) in 1968–1969. This film won many awards. He also directed a short film about Ancient Egypt called The Eloquent Peasant.

In 1970, he became the Director of the Ministry of Culture Center for experimental films. He also spent many years, from 1974 to 1985, writing a script for a long film called "Ikhnatoun." He also finished the designs for it.

Shadi taught at the Cinema Higher Institute of Egypt. He taught about decorations, costumes, and film directing from 1963 to 1969. He passed away on October 8, 1986.

Shadi Abdel Salam's Films

The Night of Counting the Years

The Night of Counting the Years came out in 1969. This movie tells a true story. It's about the discovery of 40 royal mummies in 1881. These mummies were found in Thebes, which was the capital of the ancient Egyptian empire.

The mummies had been hidden for over 3,000 years. Then, archaeologists noticed something strange. Old objects with royal names started appearing in antique markets. They realized someone in Thebes knew where the missing tombs were.

A mountain tribe called the Horabat had kept this secret for generations. They thought the mummies were their family treasure. They would sell items when they needed money. When the archaeologists arrived, the two sons of the tribal chief faced a tough choice. Should they tell the secret or keep it hidden? The younger son, Waniss, becomes the main character in the story.

The Eloquent Peasant

This short film was made in 1969. It is based on an ancient Egyptian story with the same name. The movie stars Ahmed Marei.

Afaq

Afaq was produced in 1973. This documentary film shows what cultural life was like in modern Egypt.

Goyoush Al Shams

This documentary was made in 1975. It tries to show the feeling of victory. This was after the Egyptian soldiers fought in the 1973 war with Israel.

Korssy Tout Ankh Amun Al Zahaby

Produced in 1982, this film is a docudrama. It was made to teach people about ancient Egyptian history and treasures.

Al Ahramat Wama Kablaha

This docudrama was made in 1984. Like the previous film, it aimed to teach people about Egypt's ancient heritage.

Ann Ramses Al Thany

Produced in 1986, this docudrama also aimed to spread knowledge. It helped people learn more about ancient Egyptian history.

The Tragedy of the Great House

The Tragedy of the Great House is also known as Akhenaten. It was planned to be a big historical movie. It would tell the story of the pharaoh Akhenaton.

However, Shadi Abdel Salam did not finish this film before he died. He really wanted the movie to be funded only by Egypt. He turned down money from other countries, even from France. He believed a film about Egyptian history should be made only with Egyptian money.

Shadi worked on this project for 10 years. He rewrote the script four times. But he never chose a final version of the film. Even though he didn't finish it, most of the sets, scenes, and costumes were ready.

Tribute

On March 15, 2015, Google honored Shadi Abdel Salam. They celebrated his 85th birthday with a special Google Doodle on their homepage.

See also

In Spanish: Shadi Abdel Salam para niños