Ebn El-Hetta(1968)

Ebn El-Hetta is an Egyptian film that blurs the line between cinema and reality. Director Mahmoud Al-Badrawi notices Ashour El-Aaghati's striking resemblance to actor Farid Shawky and casts him in multiple scenes. While Ashour pursues a romance with his neighbor Najat against the cafe owner's interference, tragedy strikes when Shawky dies in an accident. Desperate to keep his film alive, Al-Badrawi makes a bold decision: he'll use Ashour as Shawky's replacement, declaring the actor immortal on screen. The film explores themes of identity, ambition, and the power of cinema to transcend mortality, set against the backdrop of mid-century Egyptian filmmaking.