Magda El-Sabahi almost never was. She was almost never born, and once born, she almost never made it to his first birthday. Born into the aristocratic El-Sabahi family of Shebin El-Kom in Monufia, a northern part of Egypt in the Nile Delta, her mother (Nahid) tried to terminate the pregnancy. She already had three children (Aida, Tawfik, and Mostafa) and did not want a fourth.
Nahid did not succeed, and Magda—named Afaf at birth—was born on 6 May 1936. Just a few months old, she almost died by drowning. Again, she survived. Her birth coincided with the Sham El-Nessim celebration, which her family considered a good omen, especially given her father Mostafa’s promotion in the Ministry of Transportation around the same time.
Auspicious beginnings
The El-Sabahi family had once been prominent landowners, with 12,000 acres and several palaces. The family’s esteemed status was such that passersby would dismount as a gesture of respect and honour when passing an El-Sabahi residence. During Khedive Ismail's reign, Magda’s paternal grandfather, Abdel Rahman Pasha El-Sabahi, sat on the Legislative Assembly (Shura Council of Laws).
In a 1985 interview with Al-Ahali newspaper, Magda told how her great-grandfather “had four wives and owned 30 Turkish and Abyssinian concubines”. Their support for Ahmed Orabi’s 1919 revolution against colonial rule led to their persecution by the British, however, with property and estates confiscated, as detailed in Magda’s memoirs, published in 2016 by El-Sayed El-Harany.
While her parents later separated, she remained deeply rooted in her family’s values. She was reluctant to challenge their expectations despite being a pioneering filmmaker overseeing various projects, often showcasing heroic figures.
"In my work, I fear no one, but I am a coward when it comes to my family," she once said, adhering to the concept of 'clean cinema' that prioritised tasteful and respectable content, in part to protect her family's reputation.
From fear and tradition
Magda's near-drowning left her with a lifelong fear of the sea. In summer beach trips to Ras El-Bar or Alexandria, she clung to the shore.
"The moment I see the sea, my soul tightens," she said. "That feeling has accompanied me throughout my life."
As a child, she felt like a "victim" of constant commands and instructions, yet she would later long for that period with nostalgia. Aged five, she began attending Jabès School, a Jewish institution that taught Jewish traditions to all students, regardless of their religion. However, her performance of the Jewish morning prayer sparked her grandmother's ire, prompting her father to arrange Quranic education with a Sheikh.
Magda excelled in recitation and prayers, learning Arabic, French, Hebrew, and English while inheriting her mother's deep connection to rural roots and Delta traditions. "I was influenced by her even when standing in front of the camera," Magda said.
After years of estrangement from the El-Sabahi family due to his unconventional marriage, her father underwent a significant transformation and became a regular at gambling halls, especially after inheriting 40 acres. He later rose to become an Under-Secretary at the Ministry and made money as a speculator in the cotton stock exchange.
Discovered at 13
Around the same time, Magda transferred to a convent school in Shubra, where she befriended a kindred spirit who shared her passion for art. The two decided to explore opportunities in production companies, starting with Radio House, where they requested a meeting with the director.
Abdel Wahab Youssef received them, listened to their aspirations, and, with a chuckle, redirected them to Studio Misr to meet its director, Hafiz Abdel Wahab, who inquired about their intentions. Magda replied: "We aim to work in radio."
When asked about their singing abilities, she confidently told him that her voice "resembles Umm Kulthum's". On this occasion, it was not to be, however, and they soon fled the audition, overwhelmed by the experience.
Magda, who was then known as Afaf, chose to abandon further attempts, but her school organised a trip to Shubra Film Studio, where director Saif El-Din Shawkat noticed her during the tour, exclaiming: "I want this girl." She was 13.
He offered her a role in the film Al-Naseh, starring Ismail Yassin. After some hesitation, she agreed and signed the contract without her father's knowledge. She earned 100 Egyptian Pounds (£E) and adopted the stage name 'Magda' for anonymity.
In an article for Rose Al-Youssef magazine, reviewer Ihsan Abdel Quddous wrote: "The nectar of dusk—await the debut of a high-ranking official's daughter alongside Ismail Yassin." This sparked a flurry of reader inquiries about her identity, happily coinciding with the producer's promotional campaign.
Despite initial reluctance, Magda was photographed. Recovering from surgery, her mother discovered Magda's involvement in the film and panicked. "What will we tell your father and brothers?" she asked.
It threw the family into turmoil. Magda's brother, Mostafa, physically assaulted her, and her father vowed to kill her, but her mother intervened, which saved her life, but the incident marked the end of her parents' marriage.
Her father left and remarried, suing the producer, Sabu, for exploiting a minor. He later dropped the lawsuit and allowed Magda to work in cinema a year later, on the condition that she upheld the family's honour and reputation.
