Afrita Hanem

Distributed by Arab Film Distribution, 10035 35th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98125; 206-322-0882Produced by Farid Al AtracheDirected by Henri Barakat1950, DVD, b&, 111 min. Afrita Hanem, is part backstage musical and part Arabian Nights fantasy. The plot concerns the travails of Asfour, a poor but talented singer and songwriter. Asfour is desperately in love with Alia, his gold-digging co-star. However, as neither Alia nor her equally greedy father are about to give up cold hard cash for the love of a starving artist, Asfour despairs of ever winning her hand. Enter a strange old man who leads Asfour to the proverbial Aladdin’s lamp and the beautiful genie, Kahramana. Kahramana seems to think Asfour is her long lost love and is, therefore, less than enthusiastic about helping him win the hand of Alia. Hijinks ensue. Director Henri Barakat’s career spanned over fifty years with an oeuvre that includes over a hundred films. Interestingly, he was renowned for his realism. Despite the fantastical nature of the plot, one can definitely see this in some of the elements that he carried through into Afrita Hanem. The cast’s acting overall is adequate, but then Afrita Hanem is literally the equivalent to many of the backstage musicals that Hollywood studios churned out in the 1940s; while no one says “let’s put on show!” that’s very much the feel that this movie has. It is doubtful anyone concerned with the production thought they were making great art. As someone largely unfamiliar with Egyptian music and dance, this reviewer found it difficult to judge the quality of the musical aspects of the movie. That said, Samia Gamal who handles the double role of the genie and the look-alike actress, was famed for her ability as a belly dancer. Farid El Atrache, who plays Asfour, had a reputation as being a significant contributor to Egyptian music. The print has been cleaned up considerably, and in fact, one of the extras on the DVD includes a restoration demo. Other extras consist of an original trailer, scene access, and filmographies of the principal parties. Afrita Hanem is recommended. It would make a good addition for libraries with foreign film collections or those that support film studies or music programs.