On the anniversary of his departure .. 5 films of Ahmed Zaki opposed power

Hossam Fahmy

On March 27, 2005, the great Egyptian actor Ahmed Zaki, who critics consider one of the best actors in the history of Egyptian cinema, left our world.

Zaki did not only fight lung cancer, but also fought favoritism and the stereotype of the film hero in the minds of producers. Today, the 14th anniversary of his departure, his immortal roles certainly continue his talent genius.

On Zaki's extended journey, we chose today five political films with which he collaborated with the directors and writers of his generation, creating content that is opposed to power and biased to the masses, a content that we can quote to describe life in Egypt to this day.

Innocent 1986: Machine for the service of repression

The film is the first political collaboration between Ahmed Zaki, the Egyptian author Wahid Hamed and the Egyptian director Atef Al-Tayeb. The film was composed after Wahid Hamed inspired his idea of ​​a soldier who personally beat him during the January 1977 demonstrations.

In the film, Ahmed Zaki plays the role of "Ahmed Sabaa El Leil", a naïve boy who has not left his village for the rest of his life. He is then summoned to perform compulsory military service, and because of his ignorance he is chosen to serve in a political prison.

Mahmoud Abdel Aziz is also participating in the film as military commander Tawfiq Sharks, the man who oversees the torture of Egypt's intellectuals and scientists at the prison, while the shadow of the ghost and the spirit in his hobby with the children of his family.

In addition, Mamdouh Abdel-Alim takes part in the role of Hussein Wahdan, the intellectual young man who represents a moral compass for the soldier Ahmad Sabba El-Layl. When he sees the seven nights among political prisoners, he turns and rebels and refuses to continue torture.

The film, which was shown to the public in the Egyptian cinemas, ends with the surrender of Ahmed Saba El-Lail and his return to playing the flute over the guard tower. The original version ends with his rebellion, carrying the weapon and firing bullets at all the workers in the prison.

The wife of an important man 1988: The psychological impact of power

In the film "The Wife of an Important Man," directed by Mohammed Khan, his most important political film, Khan escapes with the author Raouf Tawfiq on the direct, not dealing with power in its broad sense, but creating its own portrait of the influence of power in the human soul.

The film also represents the culmination of Ahmed Zaki's brilliance in the poignant psychological embodiment of the SSI officer, a man who has been passionate about military uniform since childhood, and then found social prestige and protection, so power has become part of his character can not be dispensed with.

Khan's film here is also influenced by the January 1977 uprising. The officer loses his authority and his superiors give him up. Only his wife can exercise his authority over her, that loyal wife who loves Abdel Halim Hafez, in contrast to the state security officer.

Escape 1991: The game of distraction and liquidation

In 1991, Ahmed Zaki made his second political film with Atef al-Tayeb, co-starred by Mustafa Muharram. The film revolves around Montasser, a young man who finishes his military service to work with his army mate in a travel office. But the facade of a process of laying on workers who dream of living in the Gulf.

Montasser finds himself surrounded by the betrayal of his wife and friends and the police's desire to use his case to distract public opinion about a political issue. The son of his village, Salem (Abdel Aziz Makhion) plays with him and wants to uncover the real criminals behind the cases he has been involved in. Victor and peace together.

In the "escape" Zaki presents a typical embodiment away from the caricature, an embodiment based on the looks of the eyes and the language of the body rather than on the accent or the standard dialogue model, to become a victorious version of the sophisticated Ahmed Saba night, a copy of the transformation of military service and mature under the fire of power and the hammer of betrayal .

Against the Government 1992: For the adult criminals, not the children
In his third political film with Atef al-Tayeb, Ahmed Zaki presents the character of Mustafa Khalaf, the corrupt lawyer who pays for a train accident and a school bus to sue the government.

In "Against the Government" - written by the scenario and dialogue talented Egyptian writer Bashir Aldik - Mustafa Khalaf direct indictment of the senior criminals, the government, and placed before the responsibility, which evades them and be held accountable for a group of junior staff when disasters occur.

This case represents the scene of purifying the personality of Mustafa Khalaf. The lawyer cleanses his sins and confesses to him in the courtroom, confessing his corruption and corruption to all, but he demands justice and punishment.

Although more than a quarter of a century has passed since the production of this film, it is still appropriate on every occasion when the government is absolved of its responsibility for the low level of the public transport facility in Egypt.

HE Minister 2002: Minister of Serendipity and Dreams of Corruption

In Ahmed Zaki's collaboration with the author Wahid Hamid in a film directed by Samir Saif, the story of Raafat Rustam, the minister of chance, the man who came to his post due to the similarity of unintended names, but stuck to his position and regained power games until he became the strongest icon .

The film revolves around the corrupt minister's attempt to get rid of the insomnia that haunts him, and the nightmares that do not differentiate him. Raafat Rustam tells his assistant Attia about his betrayal of his friends at the university, about writing security reports about his lover, about submitting him to the threats and temptations of power, Capable of sleeping one night without nightmares.

It is interesting to think that Ahmed Zaki made this film one year after he made the film "The Days of Sadat" as if he wanted to compensate his audience for a film made to glorify a president who came by chance, a president whose politics caused the "innocent" and "wife of an important man" He arrived by chance as well as Rafat Rustom.

The filmmakers of "The Honorable Minister" conclude that there is no doubt that any similarity between Raafat Rustam and any man of authority is the responsibility of this man.