She had the musicality of Ella Fitzgerald, the public presence of Eleanor Roosevelt and the audience of Elvis Presley. Her name was Umm Kulthum and she was a powerful symbol, first of the aspirations of her country, Egypt, and then of the entire Arab world. Narrated by Omar Sharif, "A Voice Like Egypt" is the first documentary to bring the celebrated diva of the Arab world to an American audience. Filmed with concert footage, colorful anecdotes and film clips from Umm Kulthum's classic Egyptian films, Michal Goldman's documentary places the life and career of Umm Kulthum in the context of 20th century Egypt as it shook off colonialism and confronted modernity. This DVD features a new transfer and director's audio commentary. NTSC all region.
(This title no longer comes with a 20 page booklet of rare photographs as of 10/19/12)