Image Courtesy: Google Doodle
Shadi Abdel Salam (15 March 1930 – 8 October 1986) was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter, and costume designer.
Life and Career
He was born on 15 March 1930, in Alexandria, Egypt. Abdel Salam studied fine arts in Cairo and began his career in the film industry as a set designer. He later became a director and is best known for his film “The Night of Counting the Years” (also known as “The Mummy”), which was released in 1969. The film is considered a masterpiece of Egyptian cinema and has been praised for its artistic and cultural value.
Abdel Salam was also a costume designer and designed the costumes for several films, including “The Land” (1969) and “Pharaoh” (1966).
Abdel Salam’s work was influential in the development of Egyptian cinema and he is considered one of the most important filmmakers in the country’s history. His contributions to Egyptian cinema were recognized with several awards and honors, including the Nile Order of Merit, Egypt’s highest honor for artists and intellectuals.
Award and Legacy
Shadi Abdel Salam’s film “The Night of Counting the Years” has received critical acclaim and has won numerous awards both in Egypt and internationally. In 1970, it won the Best Film award at the Carthage Film Festival, and in 1972 it won the Critics’ Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
Abdel Salam’s contributions to Egyptian cinema have had a lasting impact on the industry. He is recognized as one of the most important filmmakers in the country’s history and his work has been studied and celebrated by filmmakers and film scholars worldwide.
In honor of Abdel Salam’s legacy, the Egyptian government established the Shadi Abdel Salam Award for Best Artistic Production, which is awarded annually to recognize excellence in the arts. Additionally, in 2016, the American University in Cairo Press published “Shadi Abdel Salam: The Making of an Egyptian Filmmaker,” a book that explores Abdel Salam’s life and work in depth.
Overall, Shadi Abdel Salam is remembered as a pioneering filmmaker whose contributions to Egyptian cinema continue to be recognized and celebrated to this day.
On 15 March 2015, Google celebrated Shadi Abdel Salam’s 85th Birthday with a doodle.