Khaberni - Renowned Egyptian director Sherif Arafa caused widespread controversy following his startling remarks about the late star Ahmed Zaki during a panel discussion at the eighth edition of the El Gouna Film Festival, moderated by artist and writer Abbas Abu al-Hassan, and attended by many stars, including Yousra, Hussein Fahmy, Ahmad El Saadany, and Nour El Nabawy.
Arafa spoke during the session about his experience with the film "Smile, the Picture Will Turn Out Fine," released in 1998, explaining that it came after a series of politically serious and intellectual movies like "Birds of Darkness," saying: "After all these serious works, I needed to make a simple film that would make people laugh and bring back the smile."
He added that he proposed the idea to the late writer Waheed Hamed, who shared the dream, making the result one of the most famous social films in the history of Egyptian cinema.
However, the session took an exciting turn when the director discussed Ahmed Zaki's personal life, saying: "Ahmed Zaki was not a great father, he never once took his son to school, and those who knew him closely understand this well.. But in one of the film's scenes, when he was bidding farewell to his daughter as she joined the medical college, he appeared proud and happy as if he was living a real moment not just acting.. I was amazed by his performance in that moment."
Arafa explained that this scene revealed a hidden side of the profound emotion the great artist lived the character with rare authenticity.
Sherif Arafa also revealed that the film "Smile, the Picture Will Turn Out Fine" was a gateway for a new generation of stars, including Menna Shalaby in her early beginnings, and Karim Abdel Aziz, who was introduced by the director Marwan Hamed while working as an assistant director, saying that he realized from the very first moment that Karim possessed extraordinary artistic energy.
Arafa concluded his talk, emphasizing that Ahmed Zaki, despite what he described as "his shortcomings as a father in real life," lived fatherhood authentically in cinema in front of the camera, adding: "People believed the scene because it was real.. Ahmed Zaki was living the moment and not just acting it."
