African Film Archive

Sallama

1945 — Togo Mizrahi — Egypt

feature · drama, musical, historical · pre-history

Set in the Umayyad era, this Egyptian historical drama stars the singer Umm Kulthum as Sallama, a servant in the household of Abu al-Wafa. It was written by Bayram al-Tunisi and Ali Ahmad Bakathir, with music by Zakaria Ahmed and Riad Al Sunbati.

Fun fact: This was the only film Togo Mizrahi, one of the most prolific directors of Egypt's studio era, ever made with Umm Kulthum, and is generally regarded as his final major work.

Notes: Egyptian studio-era production; included in pre-history era per the archive's chronology, not directed by a Sub-Saharan African filmmaker but a landmark of Africa-originated cinema in this decade.

Verification: verified · Sources: [1] [2]