Iconic Egyptian director Mohamed Khan died on Tuesday morning at a hospital in the upscale Cairo district of Maadi following a sudden health crisis. The prominent cinematographer Said Shimi confirmed the death via his personal Facebook page. A funeral and a prayer will take place on Tuesday noon. Khan, 73, was one of Egypt's most prominent directors belonging to a generation of neorealist filmmakers that represented a hallmark in Egyptian cinema. His movies tackled social issues that often revolved around female central characters. Among the most acclaimed films of Khan's two dozen motion picture productions are: ElHarreef (The Street Player, 1984), Zawgat Ragol Mohem (The Wife of an Important Man, 1987) and Ahlam Hind wa Camilia (Dreams of Hind and Camilia, 1988) —which were named among the "100 Greatest Arab Films of all time" by the Dubai International Film Festival. His latest (Before the Summer Crowds), premiered in Egypt at the 5th Luxor African Film Festival (LAFF). In December 2015, Khan released a book titled Journey of a Director (Mokhreg Aala Al Tareeq). The book, which was published by Kotob Khan publishing house, comprises a selection of articles written by Khan between 1990 and 2014 and published in different newspapers such as Al-Hayat, Al-Qabas and Al-Tahrir. Mokhreg Aala Al Tareeq covered a large array of topics, including discussions of independent cinema, low-cost film production, and the problem of film distribution locally and in the Arab region. Born in Cairo in 1942 to an Egyptian mother and a Pakistani father, Khan was educated in Britain before beginning his film career in the Egyptian capital in the 1960s as a scriptwriter. He acquired the Egyptian nationality by a presidential decree in March 2014. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
