Although Egyptian actress and political activist Rose Al-Youssef was adamant about not allowing the production of any work that presented the story of her life, her family finally gave their consent for the making of this film, THE LEGEND OF ROSE AL-YOUSSEF, over forty years after her death. This informative documentary examines the personality and private life of Rose Al-Youssef, as well as her remarkable career and accomplishments.

Through interviews with journalists, historians and Rose’s own relatives, we learn how this young runaway who was living on the streets of Alexandria at the turn of the last century soon became known as one of the great stars of Egyptian theatre. Disheartened by society’s lack of respect for the acting profession, she began publishing a weekly magazine in 1925 that aimed to establish a respectable press for the Egyptian arts. The publication soon launched into politics and social criticism and was later transformed into a strictly political magazine. Rose Al-Youssef remains one of the most popular and widely circulated weeklies in Egypt and the Arab world today.

This film is volume one of the WOMEN PIONEERS COLLECTION. You can see all twelve titles in the collection by clicking here.


Rental Information
This film is available from AFD for public screenings and television broadcast. For information regarding rental rates and formats, please contact institutions@arabfilm.com for institutional/non-theatrical screenings, or festivals@arabfilm.com for theatrical, festival, television, or other bookings.