Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt
Nadi Al-Cinema: Film Series
September 19, 2019
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Location
Arab American Cultural Center 111 Stevenson Hall
Address
701 S Morgan St., Chicago, IL 60612
Calendar
Download iCal FileFirst Film in our Fall Film Series on Music in the Arab World: Umm Kulthum A Voice Like Egypt
About the Film: She had the musicality of Ella Fitzgerald, the public presence of Eleanor Roosevelt, and the audience of Elvis Presley. Her name was Umm Kulthum, and she became a powerful symbol, first of the aspirations of her country, Egypt, and then of the entire Arab world. Born a peasant at the turn of the century, she became a woman of great wealth and power, confidant of presidents and kings, and above all, President Gamal Abd al-Nasser's unofficial ambassador in the region. Four million people were on the streets of Cairo for her funeral in 1975. To this day, her music outsell every other Arabic female vocalist. Narrated by Omar Sharif, Umm Kulthum, A Voice Like Egypt is the first documentary to bring Umm Kulthum to an American audience. The film puts her life in the context of the epic story of 20th century Egypt as it shook off colonialism and confronted modernity. The camera explores her astonishing connection with her audience, taking us into her village in the Nile Delta, and into the cafes, markets, and streets of Cairo where she lived and worked. From the Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz to a 12-year-old girl in an outdoor restaurant, people speak about the role Umm Kulthum's music has played in their lives, and sing their favorite songs for the camera.
Date posted
Sep 11, 2019
Date updated
Sep 18, 2019