Film as the Final Print of History: The Portrayal of Women in Egyptian Cinema’s Glorious Eras

Film as the Final Print of History: The Portrayal of Women in Egyptian Cinema’s Glorious Eras

Film is a universally enjoyed medium that reflects reality and immortalises the social status quo. Therefore, while journalism is called the first draft of history, film can be called its final print. The medium of film has enchanted the public imagination since its inception. While Hollywood and Bollywood have remained icons, the Arab cinema industry has not received due attention. Egypt dominated the Arab ethos for over a century exporting films and stars to the Arab world.

Looking at the portrayal of women in two prolific and socially relevant periods in Egyptian film history, this book focuses on a content analysis of films using social realities as a touchstone to assess how well they mirror life.

Film as the Final Print of History provides film enthusiasts with valuable insight into a significant but under-reported sector of the world’s film heritage.

About the Authors

Dina A. Mahmoud is a writer and a journalist with a Masters in Media and Communication. Growing up, Dina’s parents used film to bring her closer to her roots, and thus her fascination with Egyptian cinema was born. Influenced by films that she used to watch with her parents and the strong female role models in her life, Dina found herself interested in the world of cinema and its relationship to women. Dina decided to explore this topic to better understand the roles of women in Egyptian cinema and how they correlate with the everyday woman that she sees on the streets of Egypt.

Associate Professor Dr Swapna Koshy is an award-winning teacher and researcher who specialises in communication research covering media, marketing and business communication. She also engages in research in pedagogy – specifically assessment in higher education. Dr Koshy has degrees in English Language, Business Management and Marketing and she was the top graduating student in all courses. Dr Koshy has received a Vice Chancellor’s citation for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Learning and awards for Teaching Excellence, Research, Assessment Design and Leadership. Her industry experience includes stints with film, radio and television.