There’s something nostalgic and timeless about black-and-white films.
From thrilling dramas and dramatic love stories, to feel-good classics and comedies, some films from the bygone era are still enjoyed by audiences today.
Egyptian classics, in particular, were incredibly influential. Aside from setting the tone for filmmaking in the Arab world for decades to come, they were also responsible for the successful careers of some of the biggest names in the regional movie industry.
We round up eight classic black-and-white films from the 1950s that should be on your watch list.
Ghazal Al Banat, (The Flirtation of Girls), 1949
Starring renowned stage and film actor Naguib el-Rihani and one of the most prominent Egyptian singers and movie stars of the time, Leila Mourad, Ghazal Al Banat has all the ingredients of a classic musical.
El-Rihan plays Hamam, a modest Arabic teacher who falls in love with the young and energetic Laila (Mourad), who happens to be his pupil and an aristocrat.
He is unsure whether she loves him back and senses that her heart might belong to another, and decides he must choose whether to follow his heart or do what's right.
The film was the actor's last, shown in cinemas after his death aged 60 in 1949, and became one of his most popular roles.
Siraa Fil-Wadi, (The Blazing Sun), 1954
A romance drama directed by the Cannes award-winning director Youssef Chahine, the film launched the career of Omar Sharif, and was the first time he starred alongside Faten Hamama. The two met and fell in love on set, beginning what would become one of the most enduring love stories in Arab pop culture.
The film centres around a wealthy landowner and businessman who purposely floods and destroys a village to prevent the inhabitants from making a profit off their sugarcane crop, which directly competes with his.
Sharif’s character is an educated engineer, whose father is one of the farmers affected. He is also in love and secretly involved with the businessman’s daughter, Amal (Hamama).
With every conceivable obstacle in their way, from their different social classes to Amal’s father trying to putting a stop to their relationship by any means necessary, the couple fight to be together.
Ayyamna El-Hilwah (Our Best Days), 1955
Ayyamna El-Hilwah is an unconventional romantic musical, directed and co-written by Helmy Halim, who also wrote many films that did well at the box office at the time.
This film also stars Hamama and Sharif. Hamama plays Hoda, a poor young woman who grew up in an orphanage and leaves to live in a room on the roof of a building with three young men. The men are Ahmed (Sharif), Ramzy (Ahmed Ramzy) and Ali, played by Abdel Halim Hafez, one of the most highly regarded actors and singers of the time.
The three men are close friends, poor and loyal to each other and Hoda, who they all fall in love with, but she chooses Ahmed.
The story takes a turn when Hoda becomes ill and requires lifesaving surgery, and the three friends work together to make sure she gets the help she needs.
Lahn Al Wafaa (The Melody of Faithfulness), 1955
One of Hafez’s most powerful roles, he plays promising young singer Galal, who was orphaned and raised by a famous musician in this film.
His adoptive father was heartbroken in his youth and raises Galal to be a prodigal singer, but one who will never succumb to the emotions of his heart.
Things change, however, when Galal meets Siham, played by Shadia, who works as a backup dancer.
He is now at a crossroads, confused whether he should stay loyal to the man who raised him and taught him everything he knows, or follow his heart.
Banat El Yom, (Girls of Today), 1957
The romantic drama about friendship, loyalty and true love, also stars Hafez, and was written and directed by Henry Barakat.
The story follows two sisters, the quiet and polite Salwa (Magda Al-Sabahi), and the more extroverted and energetic Laila (Amal Farid).
The sisters meet two best friends, Khaled (Hafez), and Fathy (Ramzy), and trouble ensues.
Khaled is first taken by Laila’s charm and confidence and believes he is in love with her. But when he spends more time with the sisters, he realises that he and Laila aren’t well suited and he has slowly been falling in love with Salwa, who is also secretly harbouring feelings for him.
Bab El Hadid (Cairo Station), 1958
Known as The Iron Gate or Cairo Station in English, this is an incredibly influential Egyptian and Arab film.
The crime drama was directed by Chahine and stars Farid Shawqi and Hind Rostom, both major stars of the time.
The film is a thrilling look into one newspaper salesman’s obsession with a woman who sells refreshments at the Cairo train station.
Considered a neorealist and noir film, Bab El Hadid was selected as the Egyptian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in 1959.
And while it wasn’t selected as a nominee, the film was significant in depicting the working class of Cairo and highlighting issues around gender-based violence and sexual repression, against a backdrop of a quickly changing Egyptian society in the 1950s.
Sharia El Hub, (Love Street), 1958
Another classic starring Hafez, this time alongside the legendary Lebanese songstress and actress Sabah.
Here the actor plays Abdel Men'em, a recently graduated singer who comes from a poor working class but very supportive community that believes in his talent.
As he struggles to make it as an artist, he is forced to take a job as a teacher in a women’s music university. But in order to get the job, he must disguise himself as an old man and wears a fake beard and moustache.
There, two students, Karimaand her arch nemeses Mervat make a bet to see which of them can prank the “old man” into falling for them and shaving his beard and moustache.
As the two women attempt to outdo each other, Abdel Men'em finds himself developing feelings for Karima, causing his mask to slip and plans for all three go array.
Hikayat Hob (Stories of Love), 1959
Directed by Halim, and starring Hafez, Hikayat Hob is an uplifting and innocent story of love and patience.
Hafez stars as Ahmed Sami, a music teacher who is responsible for his mother and little brother, who has an unidentified illness.
He meets Nadia, played by actress Maryam Fakhruddin, who believes in his talent as a singer. As the two fall in love, her family are opposed to their relationship, which intensifies when they find out Ahmed has only one year to live.
With only a small chance of survival, if he undergoes a dangerous operation in London, Nadia must stand against her family to be with him and support his family.
Paltan
Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios
Director: JP Dutta
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Arjun Rampal, Siddhanth Kapoor, Luv Sinha and Harshvardhan Rane
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Ramy%3A%20Season%203%2C%20Episode%201
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Match info
Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1
Alonso (62')
Huddersfield Town 1
Depoitre (50')
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
The%20specs
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Top Hundred overseas picks
London Spirit: Kieron Pollard, Riley Meredith
Welsh Fire: Adam Zampa, David Miller, Naseem Shah
Manchester Originals: Andre Russell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sean Abbott
Northern Superchargers: Dwayne Bravo, Wahab Riaz
Oval Invincibles: Sunil Narine, Rilee Rossouw
Trent Rockets: Colin Munro
Birmingham Phoenix: Matthew Wade, Kane Richardson
Southern Brave: Quinton de Kock
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
'Midnights'
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Fixture
Friday, March 29, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, The Sevens, Dubai
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
The%20specs
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm)
Burnley v Huddersfield Town (7pm)
Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
Stoke City v Chelsea (7pm)
Swansea City v Watford (7pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United (7pm)
Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30, December 1-2
International Vets
Christina Noble Children’s Foundation fixtures
Thursday, November 30:
10.20am, Pitch 3, v 100 World Legends Project
1.20pm, Pitch 4, v Malta Marauders
Friday, December 1:
9am, Pitch 4, v SBA Pirates
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
