Egypt made a Cleopatra movie 20 years before Liz Taylor — and it's WILD.
A historic drama that chronicles the story of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, and Mark Antony, the Roman commander who fell in love with her, and the war that Octavian led to eliminate them, as the fate of the three intertwines in this conflict.
Production
1943 Cairo studio recreated Rome on a shoestring.
Costume
Amina Rizk's wardrobe is pure 1940s fantasy Egypt.
Director
Ibrahim Lama
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made during WWII, this was Egypt asserting cinematic independence from Western historical narratives — reclaiming Cleopatra as Arab heritage, not Hollywood property.
Director Ibrahim Lama and star Badr Lama were brothers who dominated early Egyptian cinema; this was their most ambitious co-production before the industry nationalized in the 1960s.
EG
