Precious Moments Shared by the Egyptian Icon

By Shorouk Abbas and Hilary Diack

More than simply a star, talented and versatile actor Adel Imam has justifiably risen to the rank of national treasure in the years he has graced our screens. With well over 100 films to his credit, he has become a fixture in the lives of most Egyptian households. Starting out in mainly comedic roles in the 1970’s, with a dash of romance thrown in, Imam has since been lauded for his handling of deeper and more challenging dramatic roles. Not one to shy away from controversial scripts, he has often played characters who take on the establishment and high profile organisations; a situation which has placed him in hot water both on and off screen.

In honor of its first ever issue dedicated to men, Cairo West Magazine chose to connect with this exceptional man to learn more about his life, his work and his motivation.

In a lifetime of epic achievements, many have resonated deeply, with every minute being special in its’ own way. Above all, though, the role he has played in spreading the love of Egyptian Arabic from the Maghreb to the Gulf through his films has been most rewarding for him. Egyptian Arabic is strongly linked to local culture and humor, so this has enabled the huge audience of viewers across the region to develop a strong appreciation for what Egypt is so fortunate to have. Imam knows that through his prolific roles he has become an ambassador of Egyptian language and culture.

This is not the only ambassadorial role he has taken on. He was appointed in 2000 as a Goodwill Ambassador to the UN Commission for Refugees, and it is a cause he is very committed to. His strong personal belief in the value of family, security and stability is at the root of this, so any work he can do to help alleviate the suffering of those who have lost this privilege is important to him.

Imam stressed that these values have played out in his own life, as he was blessed with having love and support from his own family. His mother played an important part in his life. Although he was relieved that she had an end to her suffering from a painful illness when she passed away, the loss was devastating for him. It was his personal experiences in childhood that reinforced his determination to create a strong family unit when he married. He believes that marriage is not to be taken lightly, and he and his wife Hala have enjoyed many years together, and have raised three wonderful children, Sara, Rami and Mohamed.

Never intending for his children to follow in his footsteps, paradoxically it did actually work out that way. He had serious concerns about them entering the world of film, but it seemed to be in their blood! All three of his children graduated from AUC, from the Faculty of Media and Dramatic Arts. Rami, his elder son, had initially started to study engineering, but it didn’t take long for him to find his niche in the world of film. He is now a well-known film director. His younger son, Mohamed, is carving out a successful career as an actor, and seems to be heading for stardom. His daughter Sara ensured that the link was there through her marriage to a fellow graduate from the same faculty.

In a world of increasingly fragile relationships, Imam derives much happiness from the close bonds within his family. Always having felt close to the countryside and the extended family structures to be found there, his rural roots have translated into the same traditions. Following this pattern, he lives with his wife, children, and grandchildren in a large villa in a green setting on the outskirts of Cairo. He feels that this closeness works well, as they live in an atmosphere of respect and affection. All family members are called by their given names, parents and children alike, but of course, as patriarch he has the honor of being called “Geddoo” or Grandfather.

Laughingly, he concurs that grandfathers are often negatively stereotyped in many Egyptian films, and are depicted as figures to ridicule, but he personally is thrilled to be one, and adores his grandchildren. For him, the element of stability, and being grounded, is paramount in creating a harmonious family life. His work and energy have largely gone towards achieving this.

According to Imam, his wife Hala has been everything in his road to fame and stardom. Both by creating a happy family, and supporting him every step of the way, there is no doubt that she was behind his success. Marriage is an important step, and a lifelong commitment, he believes, so choosing a partner who loves and appreciates you, who can experience the ups and downs with you, is vital. And of course, he adds, as a happily married man, he has earned a lot of respectability!

Pondering the key to his immense popularity Imam mused, whether it is a comedic role, or a dramatic one, that he always seeks to be accessible to the audience: to play the role in a way that the audience can empathize and identify with. He always strives to bring the realities of their lives into focus in a way that allows them to also feel part of the situation, where they can experience what the character is going through.

Looking at recent developments within the world of Egyptian cinema, Imam feels it is on the brink of a resurgence. This covers full-length films, as well as short films and documentaries. While Imam’s films have always captured a massive audience consistently over the years, he recognizes that there is still a relatively under-utilized pool of talent within the new breed of young actors, directors and cinematographers. Participation in international film festivals will give up-and-coming actors and directors the chance to showcase their talents, and will expand the reach of local productions.

By maintaining standards and seeking out creative scripts, he feels confident that the film industry in Egypt has the potential to regain its place in the Arabic speaking world. There is still a huge audience in Egypt that prefers local films to foreign blockbusters, and this must be acknowledged so the industry can work towards satisfying an eager market.

His advice to young actors starting out in their careers is to maintain authenticity. Circumstances change, public tastes and perceptions change, but so long as they feel for a role they will connect with the audience. He urges young actors not to be afraid to turn away from roles that they can’t feel inspired by. When the right role comes their way, they should grasp the opportunity and give it all their heart and energy.

Following the example Adel Imam has set, both in his life and work, many up-and-coming actors can benefit from his wisdom and experience. Egypt can consider herself blessed.

Sir Magdi Yacoub

The Man, and The Philanthropist

By Francesca Sullivan

The twenty-second of October was an important day at the Magdi Yacoub Foundation Heart Centre in Aswan. A host of prestigious figures; generous donors, government ministers and businessmen, gathered to mark the opening of a new wing at the ground breaking hospital that is the flagship of the celebrated heart surgeon’s continuing mission to not only improve the nation’s health, but to provide hope to those in need even beyond the country’s borders. Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub’s international contribution to cardiology and the development of Egypt’s health system is unmatched, and as a life-saving surgeon and pioneer in his field he needs no introduction; he is already a national hero.

As Ghada Waly, Minister for Social Affairs, aptly noted in her speech, the celebration in Aswan appropriately fell on the same day as Upper Egypt’s October sun alignment festival, the day on which light floods the temple of Ramsis the Second at Abu Simbel. The symbolism of this ray of light shone brightly over the event. Entering the Aswan Heart Centre the sense of hope, positive energy and even happiness despite the grave condition patients here may be in, is tangible. It resonates from the hospital staff and seems to reside in every corridor, ward and laboratory. The feeling is clear; this is a place of miracles, but it also sets a high standard of quality, on-going health care that is actively looking to the future.

Cairo West Magazine had the opportunity for an exclusive interview with Professor Yacoub, and put to him some questions about the Centre, its future, and keeping Egypt’s population healthy.

CWM: You’ve made a big difference to the lives of many. How do you encourage others to follow your example?

MY: I’m not alone; I’m just one of a team that work in many different areas. I am not conscious of acting as an example – I just try to do, and others can see whether this is something they would like to emulate. The great thing is the young people; they believe in the same concept and want to make it work. If you do something and people love it they will want to do it too.

Nothing happens by chance. The hospital is only four years old and I never thought in my wildest dreams that it would all come together so fast. But I see that it’s because all of us believe in the same cause. Egyptian people are suffering in silence; we see it in the eyes of children and their parents, and I feel very emotional about this.

We are very conscious here of sustainability; how all of this will continue after I am gone. It is all about training and encouraging young doctors and scientists to follow in my footsteps and be enthused with the same goals.

What has been the impact on the local community here in Aswan, having such good health care?

Well, this is as much an observation as anything. We prioritize first and foremost the people from Aswan, then from Upper Egypt, the rest of the country, and other African countries. This goes to the heart of our mission, which is to serve those in most need. We offer acute services, such as opening a blocked artery to prevent a heart attack, as well as comprehensive cardiac care for both children and adults who are born with defects.

Apart from all that, we are a source of employment for the local community, and psychologically they are proud to have a Centre of such a high standard here on their doorstep. We always say they own it – which they do.

What is the guiding ethos of the Centre?

The word dignity is very high on our agenda and we are proud to treat people as human beings with the utmost dignity regardless of who they are, and give priority to poor, desperate people.

We have been collaborating from day one with our sister charity Chain of Hope, which is part of our mission. There are patients recognized by the Chain of Hope medical board from African countries such as Mozambique, Ethiopia and Uganda who are desperate for our specific expertise. Chain of Hope flies them here and we treat them. We also offer training services to staff and doctors from African countries and also places in real need such as Haiti, with a view to opening other centres elsewhere.

How do you select the team who staff the hospital?

We advertise, or people come to us, and we have an interview board. We know what we are looking for, and we tell them this is an egalitarian society; you need us as much as we need you, but we have specific criteria just as you do. For our part we look for applicants who are young (the younger the better), enthusiastic and hungry for knowledge rather than thinking they know it all, and with a caring attitude towards society. Most of the time we are successful in finding the right people, and if we feel we’ve made a mistake we will tell them, in the most civilized way, to find another institution.

Are you optimistic about the future of healthcare in Egypt?

I am, even though it’s a daunting task. We recently had a conference here at the Centre entitled Global Health Care, sponsored by us in collaboration with several universities, and we invited the head of the British NHS, who reminded us that when the NHS started in the UK, the country was on its knees. It was the post war period, there was rationing, the economy was devastated. But the concept was correct and a national health service could and did act as a unifying force in the country. You can start small and grow into it. I feel confident that if we start a scheme for global health insurance then there are people who would help and contribute. It’s important to guarantee quality in whatever we do, beginning with primary health care. It’s evident from running a centre like this that tertiary health care depends very heavily on primary health care, since you cannot treat people unless they are diagnosed correctly.

Also we recently started a study in one of the local villages whereby we will examine twenty-eight thousand people and determine their cardio-vascular status, looking at risk factors, bio-markers, genetics and utilizing the latest technology. The African region is lagging behind the rest of the world in the development of ‘personalized precision medicine’ – the future of medicine – but studies like this help provide important data not only to help our own population, but also to provide data to the rest of the world and help contribute to scientific knowledge. When you give a drug to a patient there is only a twenty to fifty percent chance it will work, but with better knowledge about genetic composition, the structure and function of the individual, we can do better. That is why we have, upstairs in our new wing, young scientists working with the latest in technical apparatus; genomics, sequencing, imaging, computer processing and 3D modelling of the heart. All of this helps us plan and audit before and after operations. So there are lots of exciting things happening!