Film no.12 Night of Counting Years

Night of Counting Years, Shadi Abdel Salem, Egypt, 1969

Al Momia, which is commonly and rightfully acknowledged as one of the greatest Egyptian films ever made, is based on a true story: in 1881, precious objects from the Tanite dynasty started turning up for sale, and it was dis- covered that the Horabat tribe had been secretly raiding the tombs of the Pharaohs in Thebes. A rich theme, and an astonishing piece of cinema. The picture was extremely difficult to see from the 70s onward. I managed to screen a 16mm print which, like all the prints I’ve seen since, had gone magenta. Yet I still found it an entrancing and oddly moving experience, as did many others. I remember that Michael Powell was a great admirer. Al Momia has an extremely unusual tone – stately, poetic, with a powerful grasp of time and the sadness it carries. The carefully measured pace, the almost ceremonial movement of the camera, the desolate settings, the classical Arabic spoken on the soundtrack, the unsettling score by the great Italian composer Mario Nascimbene – they all work in perfect harmony and contribute to the feeling of fateful inevitability. Past and present, desecration and veneration, the urge to conquer death and the acceptance that we, and all we know, will turn to dust…a seemingly massive theme that the director, Shadi Abdel Salam, somehow manages to address, even emobody with his images. Are we obliged to plunder our heritage and everything our ancestors have held sacred in order to sustain ourselves for the present and the future? What exactly is our debt to the past? The picture has a sense of history like no other, and it’s not at all surprising that Roberto Rossellini agreed to lend his name to the project after reading the script. And in the end, the film is strangely, even hauntingly consoling – the eternal burial, the final understanding of who and what we are… I am very excited that Shadi Abdel Salam’s masterpiece has been restored to its original splendor. —Martin Scorsese, May 2009

Shadi Abdel Salem

Shadi Abdel Salam was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter and Costume and set designer. Born in Alexandria on 15 March 1930, Shadi graduated from Victoria College, Alexandria, 1948, and then moved to England to study theater arts from 1949 to 1950. He then joined faculty of fine arts in Cairo where he graduated as an architect in 1955.

He worked as assistant to the artistic architect, Ramsis W. Wassef, 1957, and designed the decorations and costumes of some of the most famous historical Egyptian films among which are; Wa Islamah, El-Nasser Salah El-Din, Almaz wa Abdu El Hamouly.Worked as a historical consultant and supervisor of the decoration, costumes and accessories sections of the Polish film (Pharaoh), directed by Kavelorovitch.

Directed the long drama film entitled The Night of Counting the Years (Al-Momiaa), 1968–1969, and received many film awards for this work. Also directed the short drama film entitled El-Falah El-Faseeh (The Eloquent Peasant). Worked as the Director of the Ministry of Culture Center for experimental films, 1970. Wrote the scenario of the long drama film entitled Ikhnatoun and finalized the relevant designs, 1974–1985

Taught at the Cinema Higher Institute of Egypt in the Departments of Decorations, Costumes and Film Direction, 1963–1969. Died on 8 October 1986. —Wikpedia