Mohamed Bayoumi
Directing
Biography
An Egyptian director, cinematographer, writer, actor, and producer, born in Tanta in 1894. He graduated from the Military Academy in 1915, then turned to the artistic field after the 1919 revolution, as he co-founded the Nile Valley Troupe with (Beshara Wakim), then traveled to Italy and then Austria, where he obtained a diploma in photography and cinematography. His first documentary film was Saad Zaghloul's Return from Exile (1923), and in the same year, he presented his first feature film Barsoum Looking for a Job, in which he served as a writer, director, cinematographer, and producer, after which he participated in many productions, most notably The Bedouin Leila. He passed away in 1963 in Alexandria.
Known For
When a chief clerk falls in love with a dancer, he embezzles an amount of money that he spends on her and ends up in prison, and things turn upside down in his life.
The Civil Servant
It is the story of two friends, one a Muslim, Sheik Metwalli, and the other a Coptic Christian, Barsoum, both unemployed, suffering from hunger, and competing for a job in a bank. When the bank’s director mistakes them for wealthy businessmen, he takes them to his home for a lavish lunch. But upon learning their actual status, he chases them out of the house. At the film’s conclusion, as the two friends rest on the sidewalk absorbing their long-overdue meal, they are arrested by a policeman.
Barsoum Looking for a Job
Ziyad and Omar plot to kidnap the Bedouin girl Layla with the help of Kasry, to get back at Layla's cousin Al-Buraq. The playful Abla tells Al-Buraq that Layla's father has sold her to Kasry, while Kasry fails to win Layla's affection.
Layla the Desert Girl
In light of Zaatar's desperation to get a job, he advertises a job for a human being for rent, so Zazaoua starts doing his usual pranks as he writes a letter claiming that one of the bank managers wants to meet Zaatar in order to give him a job. As Zaatar rushes to meet the manager but gets expelled, the latter stops him a little and decides to offer him marriage to his ugly daughter.
Fiancé No. 13
Rare footage of Saad Zaghloul's return from exile in 1923 and the Egyptian reception of him, filmed by Egyptian cinema pioneer Mohamed Bayoumi.