Today, Sunday, marks the birthday of director Hussein Kamal, born on August 17. He is considered one of the most important Egyptian film directors throughout history due to his significant and prominent films. He studied at the Paris Institute of Cinema and later studied theatrical directing and drama in Rome.

Hussein Kamal produced various works for television, theater, cinema, and radio, directing 27 films, most of which were adapted from Egyptian novels, especially those by Ihsan Abdel Quddous. Four of his films are listed among the top 100 Egyptian films, and three are among the top 100 Arab films. Most of his films left a lasting mark on the history of Egyptian cinema.

His most notable films include “Something of Fear” (1969), based on a short story by the great writer Tharwat Abaza; “We’re the Bus People” (1979); “The Postman,” based on a novel by Yahya Haqqi and starring actor Shukri Sarhan; and “Empire M,” one of the classics of Egyptian cinema starring the screen lady Faten Hamama.

He also directed “Chatter on the Nile,” adapted from the novel by Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, featuring a star-studded cast including Ahmed Ramzy, Soheir Ramzy, Mervat Amin, Magda El-Khatib, Adel Adham, Emad Hamdy, and Salah Nazmi. His film “My Father Up in the Tree,” starring Abdel Halim Hafez, ran in cinemas for over 50 weeks.

“My Beloved Always” is one of the most important romantic films in Egyptian cinema history. Other films include “Birth, O World,” “We Do Not Plant Thorns,” “Love Under the Rain,” and “The Virgin and the White Hair.”

He also directed “My Blood, My Tears, and My Smile,” “Please Give Me This Medicine,” and “The Stoners,” in addition to plays such as “For Your Eyes Only,” “Sayed the Worker,” “Me, the Regime, and Your Love,” and “Raya and Sakina.”