Egyptian Actress.

Alternate names
Arabic: نادية لطفي‎
Nadia Lotfy
Nadia Lotfi

A legendary Cinema Beauty from the Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema
Born in Alexandrie, Paula Mohamed Shafik, (also known as Nadia Lutfi). Her artistic flair was discovered by prolific Producer Ramses Naguib, who introduced her to the audience through his film "Sultan" in 1958 where her assiduous performance was critically applauded marking that a new star was born.
Nadia's true stardom blasted off after presenting her most iconic role as a psychologically troubled blonde girl in Al Nadara Al Sawdaa (The Black Sunglasses) in 1963. Lutfi's roles varied between portraying the romantic blue-blooded girl in Al Khattaya (The Sins), to finally master much abyssal roles as an Egyptian low-class marginalized woman in Qa'a Al Madina (The Bottom of the City) and Al Siman Wal Kharif (Autumn's Quail, becoming the only actress to compete against the enthralling actress So'ad Hosni at that time.
Throughout her momentous 30-year- long cinematic career, Lutfi's copious repertoire includes nearly 75 films; most notably of which are Ala Waraq Sulifan (On a Silk Paper), Al Naser Salah Al-Din, Hoby Al Waheed (My Only Love), Al-Khattaya (The Sins), Abi Fawq Al Shagara (My Father atop of the Tree), Al Siman Wal Khareef (Autumn's Quail), Al Nadara Al Sawdaa (The Black Sunglasses), Lel Regal Faqat (For Men Only), Qasr Al Shuq (Palace of Desire), Al Mostaheel (The Impossible), Al Ikhwa Al A'daa (The Enemy Brothers) and Bade'a Masabny.
Lutfi collaborated with a string of Egypt's most remarkable auteurs such as Atef Salem in Al Sabaa' Banat (The 7 Girls); Hasan Al Imam in Al Khattaya (The Sins); Youssef Chahine in Al Naser Salah Al-Din, and Hussam El-Din Mustafa in Al Nadara Al Sawdaa (The Black Sunglasses). She also collaborated with a lineup of directors from the "new wave" generation including Hussien Kamal in Al Mostaheel (The Impossible); Ashraf Fahmy in Rehla Dakhel Imra'a (A Journey Inside a Woman's Soul); Mohamed Rady in Al Hagez (The Barrier), and Khairy Beshara in Al Aqdar Al Damya (Bloody Fate).
After making her final screen appearance in 1988 with Al Ab Al-Shar'ay (The legal Father), Nadia Lutfi announced her retirement as an actress and dedicated her life to philanthropy and political activism.
Lutfi is a long-time nationalist and doughty advocate of Palestine's independence; only 10 years after of pursuing acting career, she sought the path of public service. During the period between the War of Attrition in 1967 and the 6th of October War in 1973, Lutfi assembled her fellow actors and organized trips to the battlefront. She was also one of the foremost actresses who embark on a visit to Beirut following the Israeli invasion in 1982. Lutfi was also the first to join the ranks of Palestinian resistance with the late president Yasser Arafat, recording tens of videos about this atrociously traumatic incident and sharing them with international TV broadcast channels.
Throughout her copious cinematic career, Nadia Lutfi reaped several awards including the Best Actress Award from the Egyptian Catholic Center Cinema Festival for her remarkable role in Al Sabaa Banat (The Seven Girls) and the National Film Organization award for her role in Ayam Bela Hob (Days without Love). She also received an award from Tangier International Film Festival; the Golden Appreciation Certificate from Morocco in 1968, in addition to a Golden Certificate of Appreciation from the Egyptian Association of Film Critics and Writers for her outstanding performance in Rehla Dakhel Imra'a (A Journey Inside a Woman's Soul).
She receives the prestigious Naguib Mahfouz Prize 2014 (36th Cairo International Film Festival, 08-18 nov 2014.


Source:
Cairo International Film Festival - CIFF 2014 (Press kit)