Diff honour for Egyptian icon Faten Hamama

Egyptian screen legend Faten Hamama is to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Dubai International Film Festival, it has been announced.

The 77-year actress and producer, who has been in the industry for nearly six decades, will become the first female recipient of the festival's prestigious award in its six-year history.

"Arab film lovers will forever recall the powerful performances of Faten Hamama, who has been associated with some of the all-time great movies in Egyptian cinema," said Diff Chairman Abdulhamid Juma.

"She endeared herself to audiences during a time when only singers, dancers or theatre professionals were offered acting opportunities, that too in nominal, poorly written roles. It is our privilege to honour such a distinguished artist and human being at Diff,"?he added.

Revered as an icon in Egyptian and Middle Eastern cinema, Hamama made her screen debut at the tender age of seven when she appeared in the film, Yawm Said (Happy Day). She went on to forge a successful career with numerous film roles, particularly between 1940 and 1970.

The actress also had a colourful personal life and formed one-half of the film industry's hottest couples. Hamama and fellow screen legend Omar Sharif co-starred in a film together in 1955, and during shooting, they fell for each other. As a result, Sharif converted to Islam and they married. They have one son, Tarek.

While most couples starring in films together can be a recipe for disaster, this wasn't the case for the Egyptian duo, and their marriage prompted bigger success for Hamama. The couple co-starred in plenty of box-office hits, such as Ayyamna Al-Holwa (Our Sweet Days), Ard Al Salam (The Land of Peace), and Nahr Al Hob (The River of Love). However, the couple divorced in 1974.

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