ET presents most prominent works portraying late President Sadat

CAIRO – 25 December 2018: In the centennial of his birth: ET exposes the most prominent dramatic works that portrayed the personality and life of late Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat.

Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat was the third president of Egypt, serving from Oct. 15, 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on Oct. 6, 1981.

Sadat was a senior member of the Free Officers who overthrew King Farouk in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and a close confidant of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, under whom he served as vice president twice and succeeded as president in 1970.


Late President Sadat with Late Pres. Nasser and General Abdel Hakim Amer - Wikipedia

In his eleven years as president, he changed Egypt's trajectory, departing from many of the political and economic tenets of Nasserism, re-instituting a multi-party system, and launching the “Infitah” economic policy.

As president, he led Egypt in the Yom Kippur War of 1973 to regain Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, which Israel had occupied since the Six-Day War of 1967, making him a hero in Egypt and, for a time, the wider Arab world.

Afterwards, he engaged in negotiations with Israel, culminating in the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty; this won him and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin the Nobel Peace Prize, making Sadat the first Muslim Nobel laureate.

Although reaction to the treaty, which resulted in the return of Sinai to Egypt, was generally favorable among Egyptians, it was rejected by the country's Muslim Brotherhood and the left, who felt Sadat had abandoned efforts to ensure a Palestinian state.


Sadat & Gehan Sadat with former US President Nixon and Wife at Giza Pyramids

With the exception of Sudan, the Arab world and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) strongly opposed Sadat's efforts to make a separate peace treaty with Israel without prior consultations with the Arab states.

His refusal to reconcile with them over the Palestinian issue resulted in Egypt being suspended from the Arab League from 1979 to 1989.

The peace treaty was also one of the primary factors that led to his assassination; on Oct. 6, 1981, militants led by Khalid Islambouli opened fire on Sadat with automatic rifles during the Oct. 6 parade in Cairo, killing him.

“Ayam el-Sadat” (Sadat days):

Late Egyptian actor Ahmad Zaki portrayed the life of Sadat in this movie, which was considered by critics and observers as one of the best films to illustrate the life of the late president from the beginning until he reached presidency. The film touched various aspects of Sadat’s political life. The film was released in 2001.


Late actor Ahmed Zaki portraying Late Pres. Sadat

“Camp David”:

Famed actor Khaled el-Nabawi also portrayed the life of Sadat in this theatrical play. The play was acted in 2014. Ron Rifkin played the role of former Israeli PM Menachem Begin, while Richard Thomas played the role of former US President Jimmy Carter.

The play mainly revolved around the thirteen days prior to the Camp David agreement. It staged numerous theaters around the USA.

“Carioca”:

Mohamed Ramadan starred in this series released in 2012, as he illustrated the personality of the late Egyptian president. The series also shed light on the late actress and dancer Tahia Carioca – who played a political role - where she hid Sadat in her sister's house when the British colonial forces were looking for him at the time.

“Imra’a Hazat Arsh Masr” (A Woman Who Shook the Throne of Egypt):

Actor Gamal Abdul Nasser presented the character of Sadat in the film "Imra’a Hazat Arsh Masr" in 1995. The film revolves around the period of King Farouk's reign. It also sheds light on Sadat's attempts to overthrow King Farouk.

“El-Gama’a PII” (The Brotherhood PII):

Actor Mohamed Nasr played the role of late President Sadat in Wahid Hamed’s controversial series “El-Gama’a PII” (The Brotherhood PII) released in 2017. The series revolves around the Muslim Brotherhood after the death of its leader during Nasser’s reign.