When a Woman Sings (2003)

This music-filled documentary examines the impact singers Umm Kulthum and Mounira El-Mahdeya had on Egyptian politics and society during the first half of the 20th century. Through classic film clips, interviews with musicians and scholars, and taped interviews with the two singers themselves, we learn just how far-reaching their influence was. Entering show business at a time when it was considered taboo for both men and women, Mounira El-Mahdeya first started appearing in plays in 1917, taking on the lead male roles. She continued on to a successful singing career, eventually introducing the operetta to Egyptian audiences. Umm Kulthum, arguably the most popular Egyptian singer of all time, was banned from the airwaves during the political revolution of 1952, only to be reinstated when a complaint was registered by President Nasser himself. Both Umm Kulthum and Mounira El-Mahdeya played invaluable roles in blazing the way for women in politics and entertainment throughout the Arab world.