Iraqi Director to Make Film on Osama Bin Laden’s Life

Published November 14th, 2001 - 03:00 GMT

Iraqi director Falah Zaki is gearing up for a new movie about Osama Bin Laden’s life, which is expected to provoke a raging debate in both art and political circles, the Iraqi weekly magazine Al Rafidain reported on Tuesday.

“The final arrangements for this huge project are almost finished,” the magazine quoted Zaki as saying.

The director criticized Egyptian actor Ahmed Zaki for breaking what he described as “a preliminary agreement” between them, in which the actor agreed to play bin Laden in the director’s upcoming film.

The director described the actor’s regrets as “strange, because it came after I sent him a copy of the film story through a mediator,” pointing to the approval of the actor at that time.

On his behalf, Ahmed Zaki has denied reaching an agreement with the Iraqi director or any relation to the film.

“I have never receive any offer from anyone to participate in a work about bin Laden,” the actor told the daily Al Sharq Al Awsat, expressing astonishment.

However, the director, who lives outside Iraq, is still insisting that Zaki went back on his word because of what he described as “the international stand following the attacks on the US in Sept. 11.”

Falah Zaki has refused to reveal the name of Zaki’s replacement, adding, “I was disappointed with Ahmed Zaki’s performance in the film Ayyam Al Sadat (Al Sadat’s Days), so I am not sad about his rejecting participation in my film.”

Falah Zaki has excluded any possibility of the film's failure, adding that American fil makers themselves were preparing eight films about bin Laden – Albawaba.com