Have you been longing to watch your favorite classic Egyptian movies but are sick of having to wait for it to come on TV, only to then endure the boring commercial breaks that accompany the experience?
Thanks to the Internet’s awesomeness, you can now watch all of your beloved Egyptian classics uninterrupted, at any time, for free on YouTube, proving yet again that the Internet is winning the battle between new and traditional media. The name of this amazing channel? Aflam.
Launched by Google Arabia on May 31st, the channel is home to more than 1,500 Arabic movies and already has more than 11,000 subscribers. It was launched with the cooperation of some of YouTube’s biggest partners – “Mazzika,” “Masr Online,” “3alshasha,” and “Misr International Films,” according to Google Arabia Blog .
The channel was launched due to the importance of the Arab World’s cultural heritage, in an effort to provide the best content and viewing experience to YouTube’s users.
The impressive compilation of films encompasses nearly a century’s worth of works. It is neatly organized in playlists to suit your choice of genre, director, writer or even favorite celebrity. In addition, there are playlists for each decade of film production from the '40s up until the '90s.
The channel’s user-friendly nature allows you to easily browse through the massive collection to find your movie of choice, and the collection offers great diversity for movie fanatics. From Faten Hammama’s talent to Abdel Halim Hafez’s voice, or from Ismail Yassin’s classic comedies to Youssef Chahine’s classic dramas, there is truly something for everyone.
This initiative from Google creates a real Arab presence on the Internet’s artistic and cultural scenes which have been mostly dominated by Western works. It also acts as a reference for anyone who is interested in taking a look at the rich history of Arab and Egyptian cinema.
According to Google Arabia Blog, what makes these films so significant to Arab heritage is that through the art of cinema, they have truthfully reflected the realities of society and documented the modern transformations and social and cultural changes that have occurred in the Arab World in the last 99 years.
Or are just plain entertaining.