Umm Kulthum
Documentary (65 min.)

A beautifully filmed profile of a woman who had the musicality of Ella FitzGerald, the public presence of Eleanor Roosevelt and the audience of Elvis Presley. Born a peasant at the turn of the century, she became wealthy, famous and immensely influential. Four million people filled the streets for her funeral in Cairo in 1975. Even today her recordings outsell every other Arabic female vocalist. Her name was Umm Kulthum.

Umm Kulthum - A Voice Like Egypt is the first documentary to bring Umm Kulthum to an American audience. The film puts her life in the context of the epic story of 20th Century Egypt as it shook off colonialism and confronted modernity. The camera explores her astonishing rapport with her audience, taking us into her village in the Nile Delta, and into the cafes, markets, and streets of Cairo where she lived and worked. From the Nobel Laurette Naguib Mahfouz to a 12-year-old in an outdoor restaurant, people speak about the role Umm Kulthum's music has played in their lives, and sing their favorite songs for the camera.

Winner of the First Frame Editing Award at the 1997 New England Film & Video Festival.

Narrated by Omar Sharif
Directed by Michael Goldman