Egyptian actor Ahmed Ezz expressed his happiness on Wednesday after receiving Faten Hamama Award, during the 45th Cairo International Film Festival.
The actor dedicated the award he received to the veteran actor Adel Emam, and said that he was proud of being honored on the stage of Cairo Opera House after he chose to enter the field 24 years ago – against his family’s wishes.
“Twenty-four years ago, they gave me the choice between continuing my work and starring in my first film, and I chose, against my family’s wishes, to work in cinema. I wanted to attend the festival and receive an invitation written on it to the artist Ahmed Ezz, so I could tell my mother and father that I received an invitation,” he explained.
He continued: “I went to the festival for the first time to pose for pictures, and no one recognized me. I passed by the cameras and no one paid attention, and I said, ‘No problem.’ I wanted my father and mother to see me at home so they would be proud of me. When I was inside, the security said, ‘Your seat is in the fare back’ and in fact, I sat up there and went home feeling very upset, and my mother said to me that day, ‘May God grant you what you want’.”
“And the days passed, and I stand on the stage of the Cairo Opera House and I am honored with an award that the name of it alone is a prize, and the award is given to me by His Excellency Culture Minister and the star of all stars, but unfortunately all this comes and my father and mother are not present, and certainly if they were present they would been proud of me.”
“This award does not belong to me alone, it belongs to everyone who taught me something, and I consider this great award to be an incentive for the next, and I feel until today that I have not done anything yet. I pray that all my colleagues and all my friends will stand in my place and be honored with much better honors than me, and I dedicate the award to Adel Imam,” he concluded.
