Directing

Atef Salem

Born 1921-07-23 · Sudan

Atef Salem is a famous Egyptian director, born in Sudan to Egyptian parents. He enriched Egyptian cinema with many notable films. Among his famous films are Mother of the Bride (1963) and its sequel, The Grandson (1975). He began his artistic career as an actor in the movie Magda (1943), then worked as an assistant director for several directors, then as a director. He directed 32 films between 1954 and 2001. Many of his films were scripted by the novelist Naguib Mahfouz. His 1967 film Khan el Khalili was entered into the 5th Moscow International Film Festival.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Miracle from heaven poster
8.0

A young employee prepares to travel to Alexandria to work as a singer in one of its clubs, but his friends take him to Ras El Bar, and in the summer resort he meets a young woman who made him stop traveling, as he caught a cold while trying to save her from drowning. She had pretended that she was about to drown, and a very fast love developed between them. And her uncle sees them.

Miracle from heaven

1956

We the Students poster
6.7

Three students, Adel, Hassanein, and Samir, face personal struggles. Adel is rejected by his father for loving his neighbor’s daughter, Hassanein seeks revenge for his father’s murder, and Samir deals with parental neglect after his parents’ divorce. Samir’s relationship with a maid leads to complications, prompting him to seek help from a dancer, Gamalat, for an abortion. The trio robs a bar for abortion money but finds it insufficient. Saidyh dies during the abortion, and Gamalat’s call to neighbors and the police results in their arrest and a fifteen-year prison sentence.

We the Students

1959

The Mamluks poster
10.0

After suffering Egyptians from the oppression of the Mamluks and despotism clump the people and organize popular resistance to eliminate them and get rid of the ruling Circassians and the commander of his bodyguards Aybak, joins Alhabiban Ahmad and Qamar resistance despite suffering colors they receive, designed Ahmed to avenge the death of his mother on their hands, achieved guerrilla dream he is condemned the country's young people from Egyptians are free.

The Mamluks

1965

The Seven Daughters poster
8.0

The story of an iron-willed man who looks after his seven daughters after the death of their mother, as his three older daughters, Ahlam, Wedad, and Salwa, fall in love and suffer the agonies of it, only for their dad to try to save them the heartache.

The Seven Daughters

1961

College Girls poster
NR

The lives of a group of girls who depart from the strict world of school to the open world of college

College Girls

1971

Legs In Mud poster
NR

Fardous is in prison for stealing a watch. She shares a cell with Samia, who works in a show band and is wrongly arrested in a brothel and Mona who accidentally killed a child with her car. When Fardous comes out, she works in Asfour's poultry farm, but leaves it when he and his son compete to marry her.

Legs In Mud

1976

Qaher El Zalam poster
NR

The film tells the story of the life of Ambed Arab literature Taha Hussein since his childhood in one of the villages of Minya, where he was able to overcome all difficulties despite being blind to leave his mark on literature, cultural scene and the educational system.

Qaher El Zalam

1979

Where Is My Mind? poster
6.2

Aida's marriage is tested by secrets and cultural clash. Starring Soad Hosny, Mahmoud Yassin and Rushdy Abaza.

Where Is My Mind?

1974

The Grandson poster
5.9

The film's events revolve around a family consisting of seven children, and the work discusses the problems of each son, such as Nabila, whose husband refuses to have children and threatens to separate her when he learns of her pregnancy, as well as the problems of university students between ambition and love. The film reviews the difficulties that parents face in bearing the burdens of their children.

The Grandson

1975

Mother of the Bride poster
6.9

This magnificently madcap comedy classic stars Egyptian film legends Tahiya Karioka and Emad Hamdi as Zeinab and Hussein, overworked parents who get little relief from the never ending demands of their seven mischievous children. When their eldest daughter, Ahlam, meets a dashing young man at a party, it's love at first sight and wedding plans must quickly be arranged. As preparations get underway, Zeinab and Hussein are soon overwhelmed by the elaborate and costly requests made by the groom's extravagant family. While tending to the needs of their other six children, Hussein and Zeinab must consider unconventional means to obtain the funds for a ceremony that the newlyweds will be proud of.

Mother of the Bride

1963

Beach of Secrets poster
7.5

Aliya goes back to Port Said to find her brother, who's unknowingly been killed by Mamduh. To keep her quiet, Mamduh poses as her "guardian" while actually getting her in the perfect place to be killed. However, Aliya and Mamduh fall in love.

Beach of Secrets

1958

Fleeing from life poster
NR

Dr. Kamal falls in love with Suhair, who works as a hostess in a nightclub. At the same time, Dr. Mahmoud also loves her. Mahmoud precedes his colleague Kamal in declaring his feelings for her and marrying her.

Fleeing from life

1964

Daa El-Omr Ya Walady poster
6.0

Fatima gets involved with the crook Abbas who lures her in with wealth before he gets arrested. Fatima meets Dr. Ahmed and he marries her despite her past, and she gives birth to Samir. When Abbas comes out of jail, he looks for Fatima, which turns her life into a nightmare.

Daa El-Omr Ya Walady

1978

A Voice from the Past poster
8.0

Hamdi, a young boy meets his mother in a dream. She tells hims three things that are going to happen in the future.

A Voice from the Past

1956

Conflict in the Nile poster
7.2

Naïve young Muhasab is asked to accompany his more dependable friend, Mujahed, on a voyage up the Nile to Cairo. Once there, they will sell their boat, the "Bride of the Nile," in order to buy a barge that will make their village elders more competitive in business and trade. But a ruthless business rival is determined to see that the men never reach Cairo. Matters become even more complicated when Nargis, a scheming carnival dancer, is discovered hiding out in the cargo hold of the "Bride of the Nile."

Conflict in the Nile

1959

Womens' Tailor poster
NR

Saber Effendi works as a tailor for men, but his major problem is that he suffers from a great depression because of his lack of fashion and refuses to develop his ideas about fashion until his wife, Huda, who works in a Syrian magazine interested in fashion, suggests that he change his activity to become a tailor for women rather than men. Implementation plan.

Womens' Tailor

1969

The Circus poster
5.5

One of the traveling circus troupes in the Egyptian villages suffers from many problems due to the small number of spectators and its failure to keep up with the times. The son of the troupe owner, who has finished his studies, comes and tries to develop the troupe, canceling some shows and adding others. He faces opposition from the old members, but he succeeds with the help of all of them.

The Circus

1968

The Circus poster
5.5

One of the traveling circus troupes in the Egyptian villages suffers from many problems due to the small number of spectators and its failure to keep up with the times. The son of the troupe owner, who has finished his studies, comes and tries to develop the troupe, canceling some shows and adding others. He faces opposition from the old members, but he succeeds with the help of all of them.

The Circus

1968

Kwaml's House poster
NR

Farida (Nadia al-Jundi), the owner of the house, decides to demolish the house and build a large residential tower. She does not pay any attention to the house's inhabitants, but her luck falls in love with one of the house's inhabitants. He takes responsibility for managing her new project and gives him the right to agency. From unique and revenge to home dwellers.

Kwaml's House

1986

The Back Stairs poster
NR

The back staircase is used for the building owned by Omar, some residents. His son, Sami, a failed high school student, uses the stairs for his late return. A band uses a band to occupy one of the apartments, and they avoid meeting the doorman who demands a fee. The worker Nousa visits them through the back stairs, as she likes to dance and sing, then join the band.

The Back Stairs

1973

Les Misérables poster
3.0

Based on Victor Hugo's novel, a poor man is sent to prison after stealing a loaf of bread. He escapes and becomes rich, but this does not protect him from people's disdain as they know where he came from.

Les Misérables

1978

Barefoot on the Gold Bridge poster
7.5

Camelia loves acting, gets to know the director and producer Ahmed Sameh, who agrees with her to star in his new movie. Aziz, the influential man, approaches her, but she repels him. She agrees with Ahmed to marry, and Aziz threatens to kill him.

Barefoot on the Gold Bridge

1976

They Made Me a Criminal poster
7.5

Sultan thought that his father's death will soften his uncle's heart and he will take good care of him. Contrary to Sultan's expectations, the uncle sent him to an orphanage. When he leaves the orphanage, Sultan fails to find an honest job, and he vows revenge.

They Made Me a Criminal

1954

They Made Me a Criminal poster
7.5

Sultan thought that his father's death will soften his uncle's heart and he will take good care of him. Contrary to Sultan's expectations, the uncle sent him to an orphanage. When he leaves the orphanage, Sultan fails to find an honest job, and he vows revenge.

They Made Me a Criminal

1954