What is the secret of choosing Mona Zaki to portray Umm Kulthum in the movie Al-Sit?

Writer and screenwriter Ahmed Murad revealed new details about his film “The Woman,” in which Mona Zaki presents the character of Kawkab al-Sharq, Umm Kulthum, stressing that the wave of controversy surrounding the work reflects the amount of love and jealousy for this exceptional Arab artistic symbol.

He said in television statements, “Umm Kulthum is not an ordinary person. She is a great symbol of Arab art,” noting that the audience sees her as a warrior woman who transcended the restrictions of society and theatre, and made singing “sacred” in the eyes of Egyptians and the Arab East. He explained that interaction with the film reached an unprecedented level, with the “Rich” reaching 475 million, considering that criticism is “people’s right” because the character is “very special.”

Murad pointed out that the film makers share the same concern as the audience, saying that they have been working on the project for 3 years in an effort to present “a real character with all its details,” in light of the dramatic difficulty resulting from the “veneer” with which Umm Kulthum surrounds her private life.

He wondered: “People saw her on stage… but no one knew how she saw us? Did she love? Was she made of flesh and blood or a fixed icon?” He considered the writing journey one of his most important experiences, especially with his attempt to explore how Umm Kulthum managed an “iconic machine” across four successive political eras. Regarding the choice of Mona Zaki, he explained that director Marwan Hamed was the one with the vision, saying that the choice was based on searching for “an actress who had tickets and worked, not just a form or stardom,” stressing that Zaki made a huge effort in training and preparing to embody the character deeply and honestly. (Al Ain)