The Mummy

The Mummy (Al Mummia), 1969

Egypt | DVD, Color, 102’ | Arabic
Director: Abdel Salam

A turning point in Arab cinema, and to be screened in Turkey for the first time, The Mummy isone of the unique films of world cinema. Though it premiered in 1970 in Venice, it had its first screening in Egypt only five years later. Based on the true story of the historic discovery of the Deir el-Bahari temples in Luxor in 1881, the film is about the dilemma faced by Wanis, the son of a family which make its living by “robbing the mummies” in the tombs. While he wants to remain loyal to the task bequeathed to him by his father, Wanis also tries to do what is morally right by reporting the location of the tombs to Kemal, an archaeologist from the city who gets wind of the treasure. Questioning the link between Egypt’s ancient history and its present, the film’s director Abdel Salam, who studied costume and set design, was the first figure in Egyptian cinema to come from a background in the arts. With its classical form, poetic style, and romantic content, The Mummy is both the most authentic example of Egypt’s national cinema and its first “auteur” film.