Five Films That Define Salah Abu Seif's Cinematic Legacy

CairoScene

a day ago

Nearly three decades after his passing, Abu Seif's legacy endures through the generations of filmmakers he inspired, and the stories he told that still ring true...
Jun 23, 2025
Today marks the death anniversary of Salah Abu Seif (1915–1996), a pioneer of Egyptian cinema and a defining voice in the rise of cinematic realism in the Arab world. Often credited with introducing neorealism to Egyptian screens, Abu Seif placed everyday life at the heart of his films, examining themes of class, power, and social change.
His filmography includes landmark works like 'Al-Fetewa' (1957), 'El Kahera 30' (1966), 'Bedaya w Nehaya' (1960), and 'The Second Wife' (1967), many of which were adapted from major literary works and remain essential viewing in Arab cinema history. His collaborations with writer Naguib Mahfouz helped shape a cinematic language that felt both grounded and poetic.
Nearly three decades after his passing, Abu Seif's legacy endures through the generations of filmmakers he inspired, and the stories he told that still ring true... Raya w Sekina (1952)
Starring Negma Ibrahim, Zouzou Hamdi, Anwar Wagdy, and Shoukry Sarhan, 'Raya w Sekina' follows the story of two serial killer sisters who lived in Alexandria in the early 20th century. The plot follows the infamous case as they work with their accomplices to murder working-class women and stea ltheir jewellery. Shabab Emraa (1956)
Starring Taheyya Kariokka, Shoukry Sarhan, and Shadia, 'Shabab Emraa' follows the story of a young man from the country who arrives in Cairo to finish his education. His landlady, a widow and successful businesswoman in the quarter of the Citadel, seduces him. Although she teaches him much about life, she also makes him forget his obligations to his family, his studies, and his religion. Ana Horra (1959)
Starring Lobna Abd Elaziz in the role of Amina, 'Ana Horra' follows a young girl who is unable to accept Egyptian society's male-biased gender roles. 'Ana Horra' is the first of Salah Abu Saif's Empowerment of Women Trilogy, followed by 'Al-Tariq Al-Masdood' and 'El Banat wel Sayf'. Bedaya w Nehaya (1960)
Based on Naguib Mahfouz's novel by the same name, 'Bedaya w Nehaya' tells the story of a family after the death of a father: one brother turns to crime, another leaves to work in a different city, and the youngest pursues a military career. Their sister, Nefisah, becomes a prostitute after a failed love affair. El Kahera 30 (1966)
Another film based on a Naguib Mahfouz novel, 'El Kahera 30' follows the story of Mahgoub Abd El Dayem, a young man who comes from Upper Egypt to the slums of Cairo. After meeting someone from his village, he is offered a job to marry the minister's mistress, on the condition that the minister visits her once a week.