| El Sett | |
|---|---|
| Egyptian Arabic | الست |
| Directed by | Marwan Hamed |
| Written by | Ahmed Mourad |
| Produced by | Tamer Morsi Ahmed Badawy |
| Starring | Mona Zaki Mohamed Farrag Ahmed Khaled Saleh Tamer Nabil Sayed Ragab |
| Cinematography | Abdel Salam Moussa |
| Edited by | Ahmed Hafez |
| Music by | Hesham Nazih |
Production companies | Synergy Films Film Square |
| Distributed by | Synergy Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 155 minutes |
| Country | Egypt |
| Language | Egyptian Arabic |
El Sett (English:The Lady), also known asEl Set, is a 2025 Egyptianbiographicaldrama film focusing on the life of the Egyptian singer and actressUmm Kulthum.[1][2] It is written byAhmed Mourad and directed byMarwan Hamed. The film starsMona Zaki in the title role as Umm Kulthum.[3][4]El Sett was commercially released in Egypt on December 10, 2025, by Synergy Films.[5][6]
The film begins in 1967, asUmm Kulthum prepares to perform at theOlympia inParis for one of her most important international concerts. The film then shifts to her childhood in the village of Tamay al-Zahayra in theDakahlia Governorate, where she began singing with a powerful and unusual voice for a young child. She moves to the city ofCairo with her father, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Beltagi, and she struggles with societal traditions and the difficulties she faced as a woman in the artistic world.[7] Umm Kulthum starts a business relationship with renowned Cairo poets and composers such asAhmed Rami,Mohamed El Qasabgi andRiad Al Sunbati, and those relationships had a huge impact on her life, personality, and voice. The film highlights her relationship with her band, the political and social context in which she lived, and her role during theArab nationalism of the 1950s and 60s. The film concludes with a poignant portrait of Umm Kulthum's artistic and personal growth and her profound influence on millions of listeners throughout theArab world.[8][9]
The film had its world premiere on December 3, 2025, at the 22ndMarrakech International Film Festival.[1][2] The film had its commercial premiere on December 10, 2025, in Egyptian theaters.[6]