El Sett (2025) | Mona Zaki as Umm Kulthum | Biopic & Musical Drama
El Sett (2025) — Mona Zaki as Umm Kulthum
Genre: Biopic · Musical Drama · Historical
Director: Marwan Hamed · Writer: Ahmed Mourad ·
Cast: Mona Zaki, Karim Abdel Aziz, Ahmed Helmy, Nelly Karim, Amina Khalil, Mohamed Farag, Amr Saad, Ahmed Khaled Saleh, Sayed Ragab.
Festival audiences and scheduled for a wide theatrical launch on December 10, 2025, the film has remained a trending topic since its first trailer. This article collects the official trailer, festival reactions, full cast and crew, technical credits (makeup and sound teams), showtimes in Cairo, and quick booking links.
El Sett (2025) is the highly anticipated biopic of Umm Kulthum — the “Star of the East” — with Mona Zaki in the lead. Released to international festival audiences and with a wide theatrical launch on December 10, 2025, the film has generated continuous buzz since the first trailer. This article collects everything you need: official trailer, festival reactions, full cast list, technical credits (makeup and sound teams), showtimes in Cairo, and how to book tickets.
Short overview
Director Marwan Hamed and writer Ahmed Mourad lead a production that aims to chart Umm Kulthum’s seven-decade career, from village stages to triumphant concerts that defined Arabic music history. The film blends grand concert recreations with intimate scenes, backed by international makeup and audio teams to convincingly portray the singer across multiple life phases.
Plot summary
El Sett traces the arc of Umm Kulthum’s life: early talent, migration to Cairo, the struggle for recognition, breakthroughs, and her public role at significant national moments. The screenplay balances historical fidelity with cinematic dramaturgy — aiming to serve both fans of classical Arabic music and contemporary film audiences.
Cast & Key performances
Mona Zaki — a central, transformative performance as Umm Kulthum.
Karim Abdel Aziz, Ahmed Helmy, Nelly Karim, Amina Khalil, and Mohamed Farag — supporting and cameo appearances add depth and local star power.
The casting strategy mixes established stars with fresh faces, boosting the film’s commercial and critical prospects.
Directorial approach & production notes
The production invested in top-tier makeup and sound design to reproduce Umm Kulthum’s voice and appearance throughout the decades. International teams were brought in for aging prosthetics and historical audio restoration — a selling point for festival programmers and awards voters.
Festival screenings & release plan
El Sett played select festival screenings (including Marrakech) where critics praised the production values and Mona Zaki’s performance, though some commentary has focused on the challenges of compressing a long public life into a feature-length narrative. Expect both audience enthusiasm and nuanced critical debate.
Why watch?
Iconic subject — Umm Kulthum’s life resonates across the Arab world.
A star lead in Mona Zaki and a constellation of top Egyptian actors.
High production values, music-driven sequences, and historical scope.
Where to watch & booking
The film is scheduled to open in cinemas on 10 December 2025. For local showtimes and ticket booking, check Renaissance Cinemas (سينمات رينسانس مصر) .
Final note
El Sett is both a cultural event and a commercial release. Whether you are a longtime admirer of Umm Kulthum or discovering her story for the first time, the film promises an immersive cinematic experience.
Watch El Sett at Renaissance Cinemas from Dec 10 — book your tickets now for a cinematic journey through the music and life of Umm Kulthum.
Click the link for your language to see local showtimes.
English booking page: https://rnscinemas.com/en/movie/el-sett
Arabic booking page: https://rnscinemas.com/ar/movie/el-sett
Genre: Biopic · Musical Drama · Historical
Director: Marwan Hamed · Writer: Ahmed Mourad ·
Cast: Mona Zaki, Karim Abdel Aziz, Ahmed Helmy, Nelly Karim, Amina Khalil, Mohamed Farag, Amr Saad, Ahmed Khaled Saleh, Sayed Ragab.
Festival audiences and scheduled for a wide theatrical launch on December 10, 2025, the film has remained a trending topic since its first trailer. This article collects the official trailer, festival reactions, full cast and crew, technical credits (makeup and sound teams), showtimes in Cairo, and quick booking links.
El Sett (2025) is the highly anticipated biopic of Umm Kulthum — the “Star of the East” — with Mona Zaki in the lead. Released to international festival audiences and with a wide theatrical launch on December 10, 2025, the film has generated continuous buzz since the first trailer. This article collects everything you need: official trailer, festival reactions, full cast list, technical credits (makeup and sound teams), showtimes in Cairo, and how to book tickets.
Short overview
Director Marwan Hamed and writer Ahmed Mourad lead a production that aims to chart Umm Kulthum’s seven-decade career, from village stages to triumphant concerts that defined Arabic music history. The film blends grand concert recreations with intimate scenes, backed by international makeup and audio teams to convincingly portray the singer across multiple life phases.
Plot summary
El Sett traces the arc of Umm Kulthum’s life: early talent, migration to Cairo, the struggle for recognition, breakthroughs, and her public role at significant national moments. The screenplay balances historical fidelity with cinematic dramaturgy — aiming to serve both fans of classical Arabic music and contemporary film audiences.
Cast & Key performances
Mona Zaki — a central, transformative performance as Umm Kulthum.
Karim Abdel Aziz, Ahmed Helmy, Nelly Karim, Amina Khalil, and Mohamed Farag — supporting and cameo appearances add depth and local star power.
The casting strategy mixes established stars with fresh faces, boosting the film’s commercial and critical prospects.
Directorial approach & production notes
The production invested in top-tier makeup and sound design to reproduce Umm Kulthum’s voice and appearance throughout the decades. International teams were brought in for aging prosthetics and historical audio restoration — a selling point for festival programmers and awards voters.
Festival screenings & release plan
El Sett played select festival screenings (including Marrakech) where critics praised the production values and Mona Zaki’s performance, though some commentary has focused on the challenges of compressing a long public life into a feature-length narrative. Expect both audience enthusiasm and nuanced critical debate.
Why watch?
Iconic subject — Umm Kulthum’s life resonates across the Arab world.
A star lead in Mona Zaki and a constellation of top Egyptian actors.
High production values, music-driven sequences, and historical scope.
Where to watch & booking
The film is scheduled to open in cinemas on 10 December 2025. For local showtimes and ticket booking, check Renaissance Cinemas (سينمات رينسانس مصر) .
Final note
El Sett is both a cultural event and a commercial release. Whether you are a longtime admirer of Umm Kulthum or discovering her story for the first time, the film promises an immersive cinematic experience.
Watch El Sett at Renaissance Cinemas from Dec 10 — book your tickets now for a cinematic journey through the music and life of Umm Kulthum.
Click the link for your language to see local showtimes.
English booking page: https://rnscinemas.com/en/movie/el-sett
Arabic booking page: https://rnscinemas.com/ar/movie/el-sett
Frequently Asked Questions
The film is scheduled for theatrical release in Egypt on 10 December 2025; festival screenings (Marrakech/Rotterdam spotlight) occurred earlier.
Mona Zaki stars as Umm Kulthum, portraying the singer across multiple life stages.
El Sett is directed by Marwan Hamed and written by Ahmed Mourad.
The ensemble includes Karim Abdel Aziz, Ahmed Helmy, Nelly Karim, Amina Khalil, Mohamed Farag, Amr Saad and others (guest appearances by major stars).
Yes — the film explores both her artistic career and public role in political and social moments, as well as personal challenges and health struggles.
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