Salah Abu Seif (1915-1996) was born in Cairo. He is considered to be the godfather of realism in Egyptian cinema, and many of the 41 films he directed are considered Egyptian classics. With The Beginning and the End (1961), he became the first filmmaker to adapt a Mahfouz novel. Their collaboration comprises seven films. Among his films are The Monster (1954), A Woman's Youth (1956), The Tough (1957), Between Heaven and Earth (1960), Dead Amongst the Living (1960), starring then-newcomer Omar Sharif, The Water Carrier Is Dead (1977), Al Qadisiya (1981) and Citizen Masry (1991).

Source:
ADFF - Abu Dhabi FilmFest 2011
www.abudhabifilmfestival.ae/en/program/films/2011/detail?f=6049