A hall adjoining Radio Cinema in central Cairo on Saturday revisited key moments in the career of late Egyptian actor Nour El-Sherif through a one-day exhibition titled “The Esteemed Nour El-Sherif,” held to mark the 11th anniversary of his death. It featured items and materials documenting his film and television work.
Organized by director Mohsen Hadid, the exhibition is part of a broader project celebrating El-Sherif’s career and includes a documentary of the same name, scheduled to be screened soon. Hadid said the film addresses the human and professional aspects that shaped the actor’s career.
Film and behind-the-scenes memorabilia
The exhibition featured film posters, filming equipment, props and costumes, along with hundreds of magazines and newspapers that published interviews and articles about Nour El-Sherif. It also included the taxi that appeared in “The Bus Driver” and the motorcycle used in “Sunstroke.”
One section allowed visitors to take commemorative photos in costumes worn by characters played by El-Sherif, including Abdel Ghafour El-Barai in the series “I Will Not Live in My Father’s Galabeya,” Ibn Rushd in the film “The Destiny” and Jaafar El-Rawi in “Heart of the Night.”
The exhibition also included a darkroom modeled on the one in “Sunstroke,” in which Nour El-Sherif played a photojournalist. Negative film strips and photographs from his films were displayed inside, also highlighting his personal interest in photography.
Focus on three decades
Ahmed Saad El-Din, a film set designer and professor of set design at Badr University’s Faculty of Cinematic and Theatrical Sciences, said the exhibition’s design focused on the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, when Nour El-Sherif rose to prominence.
Saad El-Din added that the exhibits included original scripts in the actor’s handwriting, a camera used to shoot most of his films, and original photographs from scenes and behind the scenes. He said the presence of members of “Generation Z” stood out to him, viewing their attendance as a reflection of their interest in the late actor’s legacy.
Artistic and cultural figures attend
The exhibition attracted a number of filmmakers, critics and cultural figures, including cinematographer Said Shimi, writer Omar Taher, director Wael Farag, actor Karim El-Husseini and critic Mahmoud Abdel-Shakour. Mai, Nour El-Sherif’s eldest daughter, also attended.
An extensive artistic career
Nour El-Sherif was born in 1946 and died in 2015. During his career, he made about 180 films, in addition to dozens of television series, plays and radio productions. He also founded a film production company and helped discover new acting and directing talent.
