By Reena Dutt
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 23, 1997

The exposure of film

Photo courtesy of Arab Film Distribution. Arizona Daily Wildcat Egyptian diva Umm Kulthum surrounded by admirers in "Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt."

One of the most common misconceptions about Middle Eastern countries is that women are given no rights. The Tucson Arab Film Festival, which begins today, will call this belief into question with the film "Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt." This Middle Eastern film is based on the life of one of the most respected people in the country, who, surprisingly, is a woman.

Umm Kulthum was a female vocalist, described as the "Diva of the Arab world" by the thousands of Arabic-speaking people in Middle Eastern nations. She began practicing her skills as a vocalist while attending a religious school, singing the songs of the Koran. Later in her life, she dressed herself as a boy to share her voice with the public, who grew to adore her music and her femininity. She soon became her nation's idol, a vocalist who knew no bounds.

In the documentary-style film directed by Michal Goldman, several interviews with common people are presented to the viewer alongside recorded performances of Kulthum. Her performances are breathtaking; with the flare of an arm, she breaks out into laughter and tears, mirroring the combination of the audience's reverent roars and the words of her songs, which call for freedom through the overthrow of the government.

With the help of subtitles, her music translates into stories of love, fear, sadness and peace. "She sang for the whole people," says one of the interviewees, a commoner on the streets of Egypt. Another compares her to the pyramids. A man at a bar reveals his respect for her through a story of a girl that he was once in love with as a teen-ager: Kulthum's music brought back the pain the man felt after his love married another. Although Kulthum's death was over 20 years ago, her voice is still heard and respected by people of all ages today.

Goldman constructed this documentary in a well-organized manner, revealing these sentiments that have been carried on for the last few decades. The film not only utilizes the voice of one of modern Egypt's legends, carrying the viewer back in time to the singer's emotional performances; it also proves wrong the idea that all women of the Middle East have no rights.

Along with "Umm Kulthum," three other films based on the Middle East will be presented at the festival. "Nasser 56" depicts Egyptian unity under Jamal Abd El-Nassar. Premiering in 1996, the film captured audiences internationally. "Bal El-Oued City" is a film about a man who works in Algiers. Soon after the riots in October 1988, he commits an outrageous act, putting the district in which he lives at risk. The last film, "Days of Democracy," examines women's power in Egypt, focusing on the recent election for political office. Following the several women who ran, the movie presents their various failures and successes.

The Arab Film Festival (also featuring a Middle Eastern art exhibit in the lobby) takes place at the Screening Room, 127 East Congress St., today through Sunday. It is sponsored by the Center for Middle Eastern Studies and the Arizona Media Arts Center, through arrangement with Arab Film Distribution. For showtimes, ticket prices or more information, call 621-5450 or 622-2262.