Cinema
The Ring Seller
بياع الخواتم
Youssef Chahine · 1965
Synopsis
In a Lebanese village, the mukhtar has invented a brigand, Rajeh, whom he claims to be fighting in order to entertain the villagers and pass for their protector. His niece Rima, who dislikes this lie, ends up regarding it as a harmless fib, while Fadlo and Eid take advantage of the false threat to steal and swindle, blaming Rajeh. But on the day of the festival when the young people of the village may marry whom they love, a man named Rajeh arrives and asks to see the mukhtar.
Context
The film is based on a sung play by the Rahbani brothers, who wrote its story and dialogue; the screenplay is credited jointly with Sabri Chérif. For lack of a natural setting, an entire village was built of wood and paper on a plateau in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Around Fairuz, who plays Rima, appear Nasri Chamseddine, Joseph Nassif, Elie Choueiri, Joseph Azar and Filmon Wehbé. Shot in Lebanon by an Egyptian filmmaker, it was a great success.
Who it is for
In Lebanese Arabic; the songs carry the film as much as the plot does, and it can be seen subtitled in English.
Prizes and reception
Regarded as one of the best musicals in Arab cinema, and one of its director's great successes.
Sources for this page 5
The pages consulted to check this page.