feature · drama, silent · pre-history
Produced by and starring Aziza Amir, this silent melodrama about a woman who becomes pregnant outside marriage is widely recognised as the first Egyptian feature-length film. It premiered on 16 November 1927 at Cairo's Metropole Cinema. Its cast was not entirely Egyptian: it included Turkish-connected performer Wedad Orfi (Vedat Orfi Bengu) and Italian-Austrian-descended Stephan Rosti.
Fun fact: Aziza Amir became known as 'the Mother of Egyptian Cinema'; Egyptian statesman Talaat Harb said she 'achieved what men have failed to' in producing a homegrown national film industry.
Notes: First Africa-originated (Egyptian) fiction feature in the archive from this decade, distinct from the era's European/Hollywood safari and colonial productions. A rival claimant, Zaynab (1930), is sometimes cited as the first Egyptian feature by other historians; Laila is the more widely cited claimant and predates it. Corrected 2026-07-29 per independent fact-check: removed the 'entirely Egyptian cast' claim (inaccurate per surviving credits) and flagged the disputed directorial credit rather than presenting it as settled.
Verification: verified · Sources:
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