Ezzel Dine Zulficar

Ezzel Dine Zulficar
عزالدين ذو الفقار
Ezzel Dine Zulficar c. 1960
Born	(1919-10-28)October 28, 1919 Cairo, Egypt
Died	July 1, 1963(1963-07-01) (aged 43) Cairo, Egypt
Nationality	Egyptian
Alma mater	Military College
Occupation	Film director film producer screenwriter actor
Spouse(s)	Faten Hamama ​ ​ (m. 1947; div. 1954)​ Kawthar Shafik ​ (m. 1954)​
Children	2

Ezzel Dine Zulficar (Arabic: عزالدين ذو الفقار‎, ‘Ezz ad-Dīne Zū al-Fiqār; October 28, 1919 – July 1, 1963) was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter, actor and producer known for his distinctive style, which blends romance and action. He was one of the most influential filmmakers in Egyptian Cinema’s golden age.^[1][2][3]

Early life[]

Ezz El Dine Ahmed Mourad Zulficar was born on 28 October 1919, his father Ahmed Mourad Bek Zulfikar was a senior director of police and his mother Nabila Hanem Zulfikar was a housewife. He was the fifth among eight siblings. His brother Mohamed who would grow up to be a businessman, Soad, Fekreya, Mahmoud Zulfikar, who would grow up to be a director and actor. They were followed by brothers Kamal, Salah Zulfikar, the famous actor and producer and finally Mamdouh. Ezz-Eldin’s childhood shaped his personality, for he was attracted to sports in general, especially wrestling, swimming, and gymnastics in which he won some school championships. He was an avid reader and loved to listen to classical music. He was into buying every new record released in Egypt; a hobby he cherished until his death.

Ezz Eldin was introduced to the cinematic world at the age of nine when his elder brother Mahmoud took him to the cinema theatre to watch Egyptian and foreign films. His passion for cinema was evident when he would watch three films in a row. If he particularly liked one movie he would watch it several times.

Career[]

Zulficar was a prodigy. He received a scholarship and studied astronomy. After high school, he joined the Military College to please his father, although Ezz Eldine didn't object to the idea itself, for he saw that learning military studies would widen his perceptions. During that period, he was acquainted with a number of prominent figures that shaped Egyptian politics later on, such as presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar El Sadat, and Tharwat Okasha and other members of the Free Officers Movement, who mounted the July 1952 Revolution. And later he was nominated twice for Minister of Culture position, but he turned down the state position for he loved film career.

He graduated from the military faculty and later became a lieutenant. Despite being a distinguished officer, a tragic event shook Ezz Eldin to the core. His father, to whom he was very close, died. Ezz Eldin suffered a depression and his brothers advised him to change his lifestyle and career.

At that point, Ezz Eldin remembered his strong friendship with director Kamal Selim and their cinematic discussions. Through Selim he got to know a number of coevals who became directors: Mohamed Abdel-Gawad, Salah Abu Seif, Kamel El-Telmissany and Fatin Abdel Wahab, who had just resigned from the Armed Forces and began working in cinema. He was influenced by his brother, Mahmoud Zulfikar, who was a actor, director, actor and screenwriter. He started as director Mohamed Abdel Gawad's assistant. In 1947, he directed his first film, Aseer al-Zalam (أسير الظلام, "Prisoner of Darkness"). One of his most successful movies as a director was Back Again (رُدّ قلبي, "Rod Qalby") (1957) which was featured for six weeks in Cairo's cinemas.

In 1947, Zulficar started a production company with the legendary Egyptian actress, Faten Hamama, who was his wife then. He also acted in Khulud (خُلود, "Immortality") along with Hamama. As a writer he was quite successful. He wrote scripts and stories for almost 30 films. His last work was the direction and scriptwriting for the film, Meeting at the Tower (موعد في البُرج, "Maw'ed Fi al-Borg") (1963) starring Salah Zulfikar, his younger brother.

Personal life[]

Zulficar met Faten Hamama while filming the Abu Zayd al-Hilali movie in 1947, which he directed. The two fell in love and married each other. The couple had a daughter, Nadia Zulficar. Their marriage would only last for seven years, as the couple divorced in 1954. The two remained friends, and Hamama even acted in his movies after the divorce.^[4] Then he married actress Kawthar Shafik in 1959. The couple had a daughter, Dina Zulficar. They remained married until his death in 1963.

Death[]

Ezz-El Dine Zulficar died at the age of 43 on July 1, 1963 in Cairo, Egypt. Despite his young age, he left a great legacy in Egyptian Cinema history.

Filmography[]

Director[]

Screenwriter[]

Producer[]

Actor[]

References[]

External links[]

• Filmography, IMDb. Retrieved on 26 November 2006.
• Biography, Yalla Cinema. Retrieved on 26 November 2006.