This is another self-published book by Egypt's best-known collector of film posters. Sameh Fathi's 2014 exhibition was held on the fringe of the Cairo International Film Festival — thanks to that round's director, the late film critic Samir Farid — and made an impression at the Al-Hanager Centre at the Cairo Opera House. Fathi also managed to make a documentary Donya Al-Afish (Poster World), which he sold then to Al-Jazeera Documentary. In April 2014, he published his book Anbiyaa fil Cinema Al-Alamiya (Prophets in World Cinema). More recently, Fann Al-Afish (Poster Art) appeared. The dancer and the politician This time Fathi offers a work of a much narrower range, focusing on films based on the works of novelist Ihsan Abdel-Qoddous (1919-1990), whose centenary takes place at the start of 2019. The last round of CIFF therefore celebrated him. With an emotional dedication, Fathi writes a comprehensive biographical introduction of Abdel-Qoddous' religious conflict with his mother, the journalism pioneer Rosa (Fatma) Al-Youssef, an emphatically liberal woman of Lebanese origin who founded the political magazine Rose Al-Youssef and its social-cultural sister magazine Sabah Al-Kheir. Abdel-Qoddous wrote more than 600 novels, 49 of which were adapted for the silver screen. The book includes 40 films in chronological order, displaying each's poster on one whole page, followed by a synopsis of the film and a critical comment in which Fathi analyses it. The front and back cover of the book each includes three covers of three novels and three posters for each film, testifying to the golden age of this unique art. The dancer and the politician Among the films that Fathi exhibited in his book are Al-Wesada Al-Khaliya (The Unused Pillow, 1957), starring Abdel-Halim Hafez and Lubna Abdel-Aziz, directed by Salah Abu Seif, La Anam (Sleepless, 1957), directed by Salah Abu Seif, Al-Tariq Al-Masdoud (The Blocked Road, 1958), starring Faten Hamama and Ahmed Mazhar, directed by Salah Abu Seif, Ana Horra (I'm Free, 1959), also directed by Salah Abu Seif and starring Lubna Abdel-Aziz, which was seen as one of the most daring stories Abdel-Qoddous ever wrote, with a screenplay by the great Naguib Mahfouz. In 1960 Mahfouz's adaptation of Al-Banat wal Seif (Girls and Summer) was released, directed by a great trio: Ezzeddin Zul-Faqar, Salah Abu Seif and Fettin Abdel-Wahab, and starring Mariam Fakhreddin and Kamal Al-Shennawi. The dancer and the politician Later adaptations include Fi Baytina Ragol (A Man in Our House, 1961), starring Roushdi Abaza, Omar Sharif, Zebeida Tharwat and Zahret Al-Ola and directed by Barakat, La Tutfei Al-Shams (Do Not Make the Sun Set, 1961), starring Faten Hamama, Shokri Sarhan, Ahmed Ramzi, Nadia Lotfi and Laila Taher, directed by Salah Abu-Seif and Al-Nadhara Al-Sawdaa (Black Spectacles, 1963), starring Nadia Lotfi, Ahmed Mazhar and Ahmed Ramzi, directed by Hossameddin Mustafa. The remarkable comedy by the beloved duo Shadia and Salah Zul-Faqar in Fettin Abdel-Wahab's Karamet Zawgati (My Wife's Dignity, 1967) was a hit at the time, so was Imbratoriyet Meem (Empire M, 1972), starring Faten Hamama and directed by Hussein Kamal.
