CAIRO: Arab cinema fans would hardly forget some of the Middle East’s iconic actresses who brilliantly played the role of mothers on screen, for their memorable roles are deeply ingrained within their audiences.
And as the region marks Mother’s Day, Arab News is honored to shed light on some of these magnificent cinematic mothers.
Amina Rezk (1910 — 2003)
Rezk was a popular Egyptian actress who took part in 208 artworks and is known for her roles as the kind-hearted mother in plays and films. Her most notable motherly roles include “Do3a2 Al Karawan” aka The Nightingale’s Prayer; “Bidaya wa Nehaya” aka A Beginning and an End, and “Kandil Om Hashem” or The Lamp of Umm Hashim.
Ferdos Mohamed (1906 — 1961)
She is one of the greatest mother’s in Egyptian cinema, who probably haven’t played any other role expect for a loving mother.
Karima Mokhtar (1934 — 2017)
There is no doubt that “Mama Noona” is on the top of the list, a character played by Mukhtar dubbed as one of her many successful motherly roles. The legendary Egyptian actress has perfectly prorated the Egyptian mother in many of her roles, inlcuding the caring Karima in “Ya Rab Wald” and the pan-Arab loved play “Al Ayal Kibrit.”
Faten Hamama (1931 — 2015)
While cinema-goers are used to seeing her as an elegant and beautiful icon of Egyptian cinema, Faten Hamama has played significant motherly roles over the course of her career, such as “Emberatoriet meem” or Empire M, which tells the story of a wealthy widow who struggles to raise her six children.
Abla Kamel
The Egyptian actress is known for her stellar performances across the Arab world. Her most memorable role is playing Fatma, the hard-working wife of a self-made millionaire in the iconic rags-to-riches story, “Lan Aish fi Jilbab Abi.”
Hayat Al Fahd
The legendary Kuwaiti actress is known for motherly roles across the Gulf and often appeared as the caregiver of the family, and is known as ‘The Lady of the Khaliji small screen.’
