Hayatem (1981) هياتم

Egyptian actress and bellydancer Hayatem in a scene from the 1981 drama ‘Al Wahsh Dakhel al Insan’ (The Beast Within Mankind الوحش داخل الإنسان).  The film is often referred to as ‘Al Wahsh Dakhel’ or ‘The Beast Within’.  The English translation of the credits on the film itself refers to it as simply ‘The Beast’.  If you want a film that shows Egyptian rural life in much of its gritty reality, this is a good film to see.

Anyway moving along, the film starred Nahed Sherif, Mahmoud Yaseen and Said Saleh in the story of Sodfa (Sherif) who is married to her mentally challenged cousin Sayed but is in love with Mahmoud (Yaseen). Long story short, Mahmoud kills Sayed and marries Sodfa, they both have tortured consciences, various incriminating letters are written, the dead husband’s mother overhears a confession, she has a stroke and is paralysed, the dancer is killed and Mahmoud and Sodfa drown together when their car crashes into the harbour.
Trivia: No surprise then that the film is based on the gloom ridden novel ‘Thérèse Raquin’ by Emil Zola.