Exploiting the great resemblance between Ashour El-Aaghati and actor Farid Shawky, director Mahmoud Al-Badrawi decides to use him in many scenes. At the same time, Ashour relates to his neighbor Najat and decides to marry despite all the attempts of the master, the owner of the cafe, to stand in the way of their love. At the same time, a painful accident occurs to the artist Farid, leading to his death, and director Mahmoud decides to use Ashour as an alternative, declaring that the actor will not die.
Acting
Farid Shawqy playing himself AND his double
Direction
Meta-commentary decades before it was trendy
Production
Glamorous Cairo café culture on full display
Director
Hasan El-Saifi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This 1968 gem emerged during Egyptian cinema's golden age, when stars like Farid Shawqy were genuine national institutions — making the 'death of a celebrity' plot shockingly transgressive.
The film's meta-premise eerily predicted modern celebrity culture, where personas often outlive performers — director Hasan El-Saifi essentially made a 1968 commentary on deepfakes and brand immortality.
US
