Destiny (1997)

The story is set in the 12th century in Arab-ruled Spanish province Andalusia, where famed philosopher Averroes is appointed grand judge by the caliph and his liberal court judgements are ... See full summary »

Director:

Youssef Chahine

Writers:

Youssef Chahine, Khaled Youssef

Stars:

Nour El-Sherif, Hani Salama, Mahmood Hemaidah

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nour El-Sherif	...	Averroes (as Nour El Cherif)
Hani Salama	...	Abdellah
Mahmood Hemaidah	...	Al Mansour, The Caliph (as Mahmoud Hemeida)
Layla Olwi	...	(as Laila Eloui)
Safia El Emari	...	Averroes' Wife (as Safia El Emary)
Mohamed Mounir	...	The Bard
Khaled Nabawy	...	Nasser, The Crown Prince (as Khaled El Nabaoui)
Seif Abdelrahman	...	The Caliph's Brother (as Seif Abdel Rahman)
Abdalla Mahmoud	...	Borhan
Rogeena	...	Salma
Ahmed Fouad Selim	...	Cheikh Riad
Magdy Edris	...	Emir of the Sect (as Magdi Idris)
Ahmed Moukhtar	...	Bard
Sherifa Maher	...	Manuella's Mother
Rayek Azzab	...	El Razi

Storyline

The story is set in the 12th century in Arab-ruled Spanish province Andalusia, where famed philosopher Averroes is appointed grand judge by the caliph and his liberal court judgements are not liked by everyone. The caliph's political rivals, centered around the leader of a fanatical Islamic sect, force the caliph to send Averroes into exile, but his ideas keep on living thanks to his students.

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Plot Keywords:

caliph | andalusia | 12th century | sect | power lust | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | History | Musical | Romance

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Details

Country:

France Egypt

Language:

French Arabic

Release Date:

16 October 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Destiny

Filming Locations:

Saint-Gilles, Gard, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

France 2 Cinéma,MISR International Films,Ognon Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to an interview actor Nour El-Sherif stated that the role of Ibn Roshd was supposed to be played by director Youssef Chahine himself, but Nour told him that he was not suitable for the role.

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Quotes

Caliph's brother: Thoughts have wings. No one can prevent them from flying.

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Connections

Featured in Humbert Balsan, producteur rebelle (2006)

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Soundtracks

Alli sotak
Performed by Mohamed Mounir

User Reviews

A masterpiece of the modern Egyptian movie making

The movie is simply great. So beautiful, so entertaining, so well-made. As beautiful as I had expected from yousef shaheen, the director, as a leader of the modern Egyptian movie making. The ideal declared by the film is a throbbing hot one. Liberal thought and freedom from all pre-made and superimposed thought is a subject that I never saw treated in such an open manner, especially in a conservative society like the Egyptian one. The Camera playing, the lighting modules, the music, the positioning of the right song in the right situation are all points that count on the director's side. The scene where the Khaleefa says: "I'm the Andalus" with him being zoomed out to appear dotted in the centre of the screen, is one scene that I don't think will forget. The actors choice was also very successful. If you have never seen an Egyptian film before, this is a good one to start with.