''Uyun sahira'' (, lit. “Bewitching Eyes”) is a 1934 Egyptian film directed by

Ahmed Galal Ahmed Galal or Ahmad Galal may refer to: * Ahmed Galal (politician) (born 1948), Egyptian politician * Ahmed Galal (director) (also spelt Ahmad; 1897-1947), Egyptian film director, husband of actress and producer Mary Queeny Mary Queeny (; 1913� ...

. It is often considered the first Egyptian

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

, and caused some controversy at the time.

Synopsis

Delilah, a singer, seems at first to be in mutual love with a young man named Sami, but her club won't let him in much, and he grows distant while she grows fonder. She accosts him demanding he reconsider, jumping into his car as he leaves the club. Sami's car crashes, throwing him to his death, but Delilah escapes. Heartbroken and traumatized, she visits his grave in the dead of night and performs occult rituals to revive him. Sami's ghost appears and instructs her to inject the blood of a virgin girl into the corpse to reincarnate him. Delilah, whose eyes are famously captivating, roams around

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

until she happens upon a destitute

lottery A lottery (or lotto) is a form of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers at random for a prize. Some governments outlaw lotteries, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find som ...

ticket seller named Hayat, proceeding to lead her back to Sami's grave. Once she completes the transfusion, Delilah realizes the girl is channeling Sami's emotions; Sami pinches Delilah's arm and tries to escape with Hayat, leading a new love between the two to break the spell and dash Delilah's dreams once more. Delilah is awoken by her maid to find it was all a dream.

Cast

Assia Dagher Assia Dagher (; 6 March 1908 – 12 January 1986) was a Lebanese-Egyptian actress and film producer. Biography Dagher (Almaza Dagher) was born in Tannourine, Lebanon on 6 March 1908. She moved to Cairo with her sister Mary, and niece Mary Queen ...

(Delilah) * Ahmad Galal (Sami) * Abdel Salam Al Nabulsy *

Mary Queeny Mary Queeny (; 1913–2003) is the stage name of Mary Boutros Younis, was a Lebanese-born Egyptian actress and film producer. Early life Mary Boutros Younis was born in 1913 to a Lebanese Christian family in Lebanon. Her mother's cousin was As ...

(Hayat) * Youssef Saleh

Production

The director,

(1897–1947), married actress and producer

in 1940, and they co-founded of

Galal Studios The Egyptian film industry is today based mainly in Cairo, which is sometimes referred to as Hollywood on the Nile, Hollywood of the Middle East or Hollywood of the East, despite having its beginnings in the city of Alexandria in the early 20t ...

in 1940. The 28th feature film released in Egypt and a first for

speculative fiction Speculative fiction is an umbrella term, umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from Realism (arts), realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or ...

, the film was a breakthrough by the standards of the time. The subject matter, regarding the soul and death, was subject to controversy. Some government censors and scholars at

Al-Azhar University The Al-Azhar University ( ; , , ) is a public university in Cairo, Egypt. Associated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Islamic Cairo, it is Egypt's oldest degree-granting university and is known as one of the most prestigious universities for Islamic ...

, including the latter's Grand Imam Muhammad al-Ahmadi al-Zawahiri, considered the film sacrilegious. They were overruled by the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

, Abdel Fattah Yahya Pasha, who authorized screening on the grounds that the heroine was dreaming all along. Public reception was largely positive, and the film was a box office success.

References

External links

* {{imdb title, 0267073 Egyptian horror films 1934 films 1934 horror films 1930s Arabic-language films 1930s Egyptian films