Khaled Al-Nabawi identifies the reasons for his success… and stresses the necessity of adhering to the Arab identity in his work

Under the title “From a young star to a cinematic icon,” the Cairo International Film Festival, in its forty-sixth session, celebrated the star Khaled El Nabawy, who was honored this year with the “Faten Hamama Award for Excellence,” during a press conference in which the Egyptian star reviewed his artistic career, and his passing through historical artistic milestones, which constituted an important turning point in his career.

The symposium, which was attended by festival president Hussein Fahmy, journalist Mahmoud Saad, director Kamla Abu Zakry, and the young artist Nour Al-Nabawi, the artist’s son, and was moderated by art critic and screenwriter Zain Khairy, came in appreciation of an artistic career that spanned decades and left an influential mark. From the movie “Al-Migrant” to the series “Imam Al-Shafi’i,” Khaled Al-Nabawi went through an exceptional journey of artistic and human development, which established his position as one of the most prominent and influential stars of his generation.

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During the dialogue, which lasted about an hour and a half, Al-Nabawi reviewed the milestones in his career, and revealed the secrets of performing unforgettable characters. He also talked about his experiences with great directors and actors, most notably: Youssef Chahine and Enas Al-Deghaidy, and how he succeeded in building a special presence that combined passion, precision, and professionalism. The dialogue session represented an opportunity to learn about Al-Nabawi’s vision in the art of acting, and the details of his work in iconic works, such as: “The Destiny,” and “The Traveler.” And “The Citizen”, in addition to his prominent dramatic roles in series, such as: “Hadith Al-Mabah wa Al-Masa’a”, leading to his works in international cinema.

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In the dialogue session, Al-Nabawi stressed the importance of the artist carrying the responsibility of preserving Arab identity and culture in dealing with international filmmakers, considering that they may not realize some of the details rooted in our identity and religion.

Al-Nabawi explained that he was fighting to convey a true image of Arabs and Muslims, while participating in international cinematic works, by emphasizing their appearance in appropriate clothing, in a real manner, far from the inferiority view with which the West viewed Arabs. He explained: “In my films: (Kingdom of Heaven) and (Citizen), I made sure that my appearance was elegant. In the movie (The Citizen), the clothes coordinator wanted me to appear in poor, worn-out clothes. How could I agree to that when I was embodying the character of a Lebanese, and the Lebanese are known to care about their appearance and elegance even if they do not have money in their pockets. This also happened in the movie (Kingdom of Heaven), as the clothes coordinator insisted that my character’s clothes be dirty, and I strongly rejected that, because she is the character of an Iraqi doctor, and the doctor is a very clean person, and cares about his cleanliness even if he has One shirt.

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Khaled Al-Nabawi confirmed that he enjoyed acting opposite Youssef Chahine, describing him as a genius director, and his genius comes from his interest in the smallest details of the actor and the poetic mood of the scene to the extent that this affects the way he says the word “action.” Khaled Al-Nabawi also sent special thanks to Enas Al-Deghaidy, as he signed the movie “Disco Disco” with her before Youssef Chahine requested it. To participate in the movie “The Migrant,” he told him that he needed to devote himself full time for a year. He said: “I went to her and told her about Youssef Shaheen’s condition, and she said to me: Go to Youssef Shaheen. He is much more important than me, and do not worry about the necklace, I will tear it with my own hands.”

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