MYSTERIES OF EGYPT

SYNOPSIS:
Omar Sharif plays the role of a grandfather who shows his visiting granddaughter (Kate Maberly) around, introducing her to the wonders and magic of the ancient Egyptian civilization. At first, she doesn’t share her grandfather’s enthusiasm, but she soon changes her mind. Like so many tourists who visit the pyramids, she is awestruck by the sheer magnitude of these architectural wonders. As she listens to her grandfather’s stories, she is fascinated by the supposed curse of King Tutankhamun’s burial chamber and begins to appreciate the incredible legacy of the land of the pharaohs. Produced by Ntional Geographic and Destination Cinema.

"Informative, spectacular, insightful and entertaining, Mysteries of Egypt is a bewitching experience on the giant screen, transporting us into an exotic land seeped in history, superstitions and unsurpassed natural beauty. We are privvy to a journey of discovery, with the debonair, urbane Omar Sharif as our guide. Legendary Sharif has a seductive and authoritative screen presence – informed, intelligent with a voice as rich as liquid amber. Cleverly structured to incorporate a personal element in a loose story line, the journey begins at the source of the Nile, where the cascade of waterfalls explode: you can almost feel and taste the spray. Visually splendid, breathtaking cinematography captures the awesome pyramids, scarlet flaming sunsets and the ornate artworks of a civilisation long gone, the rich music score enriching the experience. The extraordinary discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun forms a bridge in time – you really feel as though you are there. The realisation that these extraordinary structures were built some 3 to 5,000 years ago using only the astrology, mathematics and engineering of the day, is mind blowing. Captivating and seductive, Mysteries of Egypt is an inspiring, breathtaking experience, a magical look at a fascinating culture rich in complexity."
Louise Keller

"The most striking aspect of this docu-drama is the format itself, the giant screen that is used to great effect as a travel guide not only through some of Egypt’s diverse and magnificent geography today, but through the ancient mysteries of the pyramids. If you think you’ve seen it all before, you will have only yourself to blame for missing a special cinema experience that only the giant screen can deliver. For example, some of aerial shots from low flying aircraft above the Nile come as close to virtual flying as you can get in a cinema auditorium. As for the Egyptologists among us, this film brings within your grasp, almost, the fabulous death mask of the young king whose burial chamber was the last to be discovered – and the most awe-inspiring. In its relatively short running time, this dramatised documentary opens our eyes to a civilisation we have known about, with a fresh vigour."
Andrew L. Urban