El Naser Salah el Dine/ Saladin (1963), international style poster, Egyptian

El Naser Salah el Dine/ Saladin (1963), international style poster, Egyptian

Unframed: 46 1/2 x 35 1/2 in. (118.2 x 90.2 cm)

This film is considered one of the most important Arabic films. This Egyptian poster was designed for the international release of the film and was printed in two sheets. Another poster (featuring the same artwork but with the inclusion of Arabic writing) was used for the domestic market.

Exceptionally rare. This rare Egyptian poster has only surfaced a couple of times.

This Egyptian war film was directed by Youssef Chahine. It was written by Yusuf Sibai, based on the novel by Naguib Mahfouz. The cast includes Ahmed Mazhar as Saladin, Salah Zulfikar as Issa El Awam, Nadia Lutfi, Omar El-Hariri, Mahmoud El-Meliguy, Leila Fawzi, Hamdi Gheiss, Ahmed Luxor, Hussein Riad, Laila Taher, and Zaki Toleimat. The film depicts the events of the Third Crusade (1189-1192), when three monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England, and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) attempt to reconquer the Holy Land, following the capture of Jerusalem by the Ayyubid sultan Saladin in 1187. After Saladin's victory over the King of Jerusalem, a peace treaty is signed between them, but the commander of the Crusader army, Raynald de Châtillon, pursues an offensive policy against Saladin, and plunders groups of pilgrims, threatening their route towards Mecca. Saladin pledges that he will never forgive Raynald.