Uncovering Forgotten Frames: Samah Samir's Journey Through Legacy of Nassibian Studio

See - Sada Elbalad

29-05-2025

Ahmed Emam
In a city where history is often paved over rather than preserved, it takes a rare kind of determination to dig into the dust and find forgotten gems. With Issue 29 of "Film Magazine", writer and researcher Samah Samir does exactly that—resurrecting the nearly lost story of Hrant Nassibianc and his legendary, though largely overlooked, Nassibian Studio.
This is more than a feature. It's an excavation. Samah's pursuit feels both personal and cinematic: a determined search for a name barely mentioned in official histories, yet one that helped shape the early infrastructure of Egyptian cinema.
- A Story That Begins with Absence
Samah's entry point into the Nassibian saga is beautifully paradoxical—it begins with what isn't there. No full entry in film archives. No detailed biography. Only traces. Through her storytelling, the absence becomes part of the narrative power. Her search through archives, libraries, and conversations reveals as much about Egypt's approach to preserving cultural memory as it does about Nassibian himself.
And when that absence is finally filled—thanks to a serendipitous digital call-out and the generous response of Dr. Armin Mazloumian—it feels like a cinematic twist in its own right. Suddenly, we're given photographs, lineage, business ventures, and poignant personal memories that illuminate Hrant Nassibian not just as a film technician, but as a cultural figure and community leader.
- The Studio that Time Almost Forgot
Founded in 1937, just two years after Talaat Harb's Studio Misr, Nassibian Studio was a fully-equipped production facility, complete with sound stages, labs, and administrative offices. It stood as a symbol of ambition and technical innovation in Egyptian cinema—until it disappeared from the public eye.
Samah makes it clear that this disappearance wasn't just due to time. It was also the result of neglect, bureaucratic indifference, and a failure to treat cultural heritage with the seriousness it deserves. And yet, her writing never becomes bitter. It remains hopeful, focused, insistent on the power of remembering.
- A New Chapter: Jesuit Cairo and the Cultural Rebirth
One of the most powerful dimensions of this piece is how it connects the studio's past to its present and potential future. When the Jesuit Fathers acquired the building in 1996, they not only saved it from destruction—they transformed it into a living center for creativity.
Nowadays, Jesuit Cairo's El-Nahda Association is home to artistic programs, community events, and cultural renewal, all unfolding within the same walls that once echoed with the dreams of Egyptian filmmakers.
Even after a fire in 2021 destroyed the Nassibian Studio Theatre, the memory and mission remain intact. Samah captures this beautifully, portraying the studio not as a relic, but as a living symbol of Cairo's evolving cultural identity.
- 2037 and Beyond: A Dream of Continuity
Perhaps the most touching moment in Samah's essay is her imagined vision of the future: a Studio Nassibian Theatre with 600 seats, a cultural hub buzzing with youth and artistry, and a city that finally honors the studio's legacy by renaming a street in its memory.
It's a dream grounded in reality—a reminder that places can be more than structures. They can be symbols, anchors of identity, and vessels for intergenerational imagination.
- A Review, and a Tribute
As a journalist reading Samah Samir's piece, I found myself not only informed, but moved. This is more than documentation; it is reclamation. It reminds us that behind every forgotten studio is a founder with a vision, a team of silent collaborators, and a story that still deserves to be told.
Samah doesn't just write about Hrant Nassibian—she restores him to history, piece by piece, frame by frame. In doing so, she challenges all of us—journalists, artists, readers—to think about the spaces we walk past every day, and the histories they might hold.
Because if we don't remember them, who will?
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