Ibrahim Lama

An Egyptian director, author, photographer, and producer of Palestinian origins, born in 1904. The two brothers, Ibrahim and Badr, were born to a Palestinian immigrant father in Chile. They decided to return to their original homeland, but they changed their decision when their ship arrived in Alexandria in 1926, where they landed to make a fundamental contribution to the birth of Egyptian cinema. In Alexandria, the Lama brothers founded the “Condor Film” company, which was active in Alexandria. This was at the same time that the Turkish director Widad Orfi was able to convince the artist Aziza Amir to produce an Egyptian cinematic film, the story of which he would write and direct, in addition to starring opposite her. It was the film “The Call of God,” which was shown on November 16, 1927, after making some modifications to it and changing its name to “Laila.” As for the Lama brothers, they began They were active during that period by producing their film “A Kiss in the Desert,” where Ibrahim wrote and photographed the story, in addition to directing it, and his brother Badr was content with starring in the film. The film was filmed in a small studio located in a private villa in the Victoria area of Alexandria. In the year 1930, the Lama brothers moved to Cairo, after they presented their second film, “Tragedy Above the Pyramid” in 1928, starring Badr Lama and Fatima Rushdi, and in Cairo they founded the Lama Studio. Ibrahim married Isabella George and had two sons, Samir and Jouda. Badr Lama played the starring role in most of the films directed by his brother, even after Badriya married Badriya Raafat, who co-starred in these films with him. As for the films that Ibrahim directed and Badr did not participate in, they are “Prick of Conscience” 1931, starring Asiya and Abdel Salam Al-Nabulsi, “The Victims” 1931, starring Bahija Hafez, and “Cairo Nights” 1939, starring Hussein Sidqi and Nemat El-Meligy Mustafa. Ibrahim Lama’s films varied. He presented historical films such as “Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi” in 1941 and “Cleopatra” in 1943. He also presented the first film about the story of “Qais and Laila” in 1939, in addition to social and comedic films. Ibrahim Lama is considered the first Egyptian to film in the forests and jungles of Sudan and Kenya. He set out with his cameras there to film his films “The Missing Link” in 1948, and “The Caravan Is Walking” in 1951. Ibrahim Lama presented Egyptian cinema with 30 films in 24 years, and worked with the biggest stars of the time, such as Fatima Rushdie, Asia, Mary Queenie, Bahija Hafez, Zaki Rostom, Amina Rizk, Badia Masabni, Raja Abdo, Madiha Yousry, Laila Fawzi, Faten Hamama, Shadia. The end of Ibrahim Lama's life was tragic, as he shot his divorced woman out of jealousy and her refusal to return to him, then he committed suicide with the same gun.