Who is Bahiga Hafez? And Why Is She Today’s Google Doodle?
Google pays tribute to the pioneering Egyptian talent on what would have been her 112th birthday
Google has created over 4,000 “Doodles” for their various homepages around the world, adapting their logo in honour of notable events including holidays, anniversaries and to pay tribute to the lives of prominent change makers, pioneers, artists, scientists and much more.
Today, the Google Doodle featured Egyptian screenwriter, composer, director, editor, producer and actress Bahiga Hafez on what would have been the cinema star’s 112th birthday.
Immortalised by the regional artist Mariam ElReweny from Cairo, the illustration captures the essence of Bahiga, who was born in Alexandria in 1908 and is hailed as one of Egyptian cinema’s first stars.
The talented actress is known for contributing to the development of Egypt’s film industry which was founded in the 1920’s. She was an exceptional talent who, despite the odds, ventured into the industry to not only become an actress but also direct, edit, produce, design her costumes and compose the soundtracks of her films.
Bahiga Hafez earned a degree in music composition in Paris, upon her graduation she released her debut album in 1930. Thereafter she relocated to Cairo and landed the lead role in Mohammed Karim’s silent drama, Zeinab.
Google released a statement that outlined Hafez’s contribution to the arts expressing how “…her work helped pave the way for the start of what is widely considered Egyptian cinema’s golden age in the 1940s. She is depicted in the doodle artwork wearing a costume inspired by the many opulent wardrobes she designed from this era of film.”
Her varying, vast and evident talent across an extensive range of disciplines demonstrates her clear role as a trailblazer within the film industry.
The celebratory Google Doodle appears on the home page of users located in the GCC, Lebanon, Iraq and North Africa.
Lead image courtsey of Google
