Well known late Egyptian actress Zahra El-Oula Bakir would have celebrated her 87th birthday today. Born in the district of Muharram Bey in Alexandria on 10 June 1934 to a family originally from Al-Mahala, Bakir showed her acting talents as a very young girl, and in the years to follow she became one of the best-known artists in Egypt's theatre and cinema scene. Bakir's father was very supporting of her talent, an unusual occurrence for that generation. He presented Bakir to late Egyptian film actor Youssef Wahbi, who was also his friend, and both encouraged her to enroll at the High Institute of Theatrical Arts. It was with the help of Zaki Tuleimat that Bakir began her studies at this institute, graduating in 1954. (Photo: Al Ahram) Bakir acted in several plays, including 'Hourriyah men Al-Mareekh', 'Al-Bakheel' ('The Miser'), 'Mareed bi Al-Wahm' ('Illusory Illness'), 'Fattish an Al-Maraa' ('Look for the Woman'), 'Al-Ghabi Wa Anna' ('The Idiot and Myself'), and 'Sab'a Farkhat wa Deek' ('Seven Hens and a Rooster'). From theatre she moved fast to cinema, where she was given numerous major roles, launching a career that spanned over a few decades. She shared the screen with renowned actors of the generation including Wahby, Tulaimat, icon of Egyptian comedy Ismail Yassin, among numerous others. Her filmography consists of over 200 titles, including works such as 'Ismail Yassine Fi El-Ostol' ('Ismail Yassine in the Navy'), 'Doaa Al-Karawan' ('Prayers of the Nightingale'), 'Gamila', 'Nahr Al-Hob' ('Love River'), and 'Rod Qalby' ('Back Again'). (Photo: Al Ahram) She also participated in numerous TV series, including 'Rehlet El-Sayed Abu El-Ela El-Beshry' ('The Journey of Mr. Abo El-Ela El-Beshry'), and 'Aa'la Hamesh Al-Sira' ('The Prophet's Life'). Bakir was married four times, with the first two husbands being her relatives. She then married actor Salah El-Zulfakar, a marriage that lasted for one year. Her fourth husband was director Hassan El-Seify with whom she had two daughters, one of them Manal El-Seify, a well-known film director. Bakir's health began deteriorating over the span of a few years. In 2010, she was honoured by the Catholic Centre's Film Festival yet could not attend the ceremony. She passed away on 18 December 2013. (Photo: Al Ahram) 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
