CIFF 2026: Shafika the Copt

Shafika Al-Koptia was one of Egypt’s most famous dancers in the early twentieth century. Harsh circumstances force her to leave her only son, Aziz, in the care of her mother after her father expels her from the family home. Despite her great wealth and close friendships with senior statesmen, she is never allowed to visit him. Aziz grows up and falls in love with the daughter of Asaad Pasha, the prime minister, who is also his mother’s principal lover. As time passes, Shafika recognizes her son when Asaad Pasha humiliates him in front of his daughter after Aziz asks for her hand in marriage. Seeking to avenge her son’s honor, Shafika humiliates the minister in front of his wife. In retaliation, he has Aziz imprisoned and abandons Shafika. Meanwhile, her maid Bahia steals her fortune and becomes the mistress of powerful politicians, as events continue to unfold.