Veteran artist Nadia Lofti passed away on Tuesday at the age of 83, after a long battle with illness.
Lotfi’s last public appearance was in a video that she published mourning her friend actress Magda Sabahy, who also passed away on 16 January.
Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem mourned Lotfi. “She was one of the pillars that shaped the history of cinema in Egypt,” she said in a press statement.
Lotfi, known for her star roles in Egyptian movies, was one of the most important actresses of the 1950s and 1960s.
Known for her deep characters taken from novels, Lotfi’s roles included La Anam (I do not Sleep), and Al-Nzara Al-Sawdaa’ (Black Sunglasses), each granting her accolade from both the public and critics.
Born as Paula Mohamed Mostafa Shafiq, Nadia Lotfi became her nickname. She starred with Omar Al-Sharif and Faten Hamam in La Anam, where she played the willful teen that destroys her father’s marriage.
Lotfi’s films always tackle women’s issues in the Middle East, and always defended quality between men and women.
Away from the screen, she was very politically and socially engaged. She was the first Egyptian star to meet Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, and captured the events of the Sabra and Shatila massacre before revealing it to the public.
