Remembering July 23rd; 7 Movies About Egypt’s 1952 Revolution
Today marks the 68th anniversary of one of the most important events in modern Egyptian history, the 23rd of July revolution that took place back in 1952. It was led by the Free Officers Movement, a group of officers headed by Mohamed Naguib and Gamal Abdelnasser. It resulted in King Farouk getting overthrown, marking the end of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty and the beginning of the Nasser Era, and sparked a revolutionary wave across the Arab World.
Since movies are one of the most entertaining ways to revisit history, we’ve compiled for a few that are about the 23rd of July revolution, whether the causes, consequences or notable events. Check the list out, and binge-watch them over the long weekend!
Allah Ma’ana
“Allah Ma’ana” is one of the best movies about the revolution. It came out in 1955, was directed by Ahmed Badrkhan, written by Ehsan Abdelkodous, and features Faten Hamama, Emad Hamdy, Magda, and Mahmoud El Meleigy.
ُEl Kahera 30
The star-studded movie was released back in 1966. It’s directed by Salah Abo Seif and written by Naguib Mahfouz. The movie features Ahmed Mazhar, Souad Hosny, Hamdy Ahmed, Youssef Wahby, and Tawfeek El D’en.
Ghroub W Shorouk
The hit movie was released back in 1970 and features Souad Hosny, Roshdy Abaza, Salah Zulfakar, Mahmoud El Meleigy, and Ibrahim Khan. It was directed by Kamal El Sheikh, and written by Gamal Hammad.
Rod Qalby
The romantic masterpiece sheds light on the difference between social classes before the revolution. It features Shokry Sarhan, Mariam Fakhreldin, Hend Rostom, and Salah Zulfakkar. It’s directed by Ezzeldine Zulfakkar, and written by Youssef El Sebaei.
ُEl Nasser 56
Ahmed Zaki’s masterpiece was released in 1996. Directed by Mohamed Fadel, and written by Mahfouz Abdelrahman, it features Fardous Abdelhamid, Amina Rezk, Hassan Hosny, and Ahmed Khalil.
Fe Baitona Ragol
Written by Ehsan Abdel Quddos and directed by Henry Barakat, the groundbreaking 1961 movie is considered one of the best Arabic movies ever. Featuring Roshdy Abaza, Zebeida Tharwat, Omar El Sherif, and Hassan Youssef; you can’t go wrong with this cast.
Bedaya W Nehaya
Omar El Sherif, Farid Shawky, Amina Rezk, and Kamal Hussein come together in this once-in-a-lifetime work of art. The movie was released back in 1960 and it’s directed by Salah Abu Seif and written by Naguib Mahfouz.
