4K Restoration of Moustapha Akkad’s ‘Lion of the Desert,’ Starring Oliver Reed and Anthony Quinn, Bows at Cairo Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comJohn Bleasdale Guest Contributor A 4K restoration of the 1981 film “Lion of the Desert” is to premiere at the Cairo Film Festival this week.
Telling the story of Benito Mussolini’s attempt to defeat the Libyan rebellion against fascist Italian rule, the film stars Oliver Reed and Anthony Quinn and was produced and directed by Syrian-American filmmaker Moustapha Akkad.
The trailer for the film is below. The restoration was carried out by Trancas International Films at Deluxe in London and Private Island Sound in Hollywood, bringing to life the grandeur of the desertscapes and the epic battle scenes, as well as Maurice Jarre’s score.
Malek Akkad, Moustapha Akkad’s son, spoke to Variety about the restoration: “It was a labor of love for me. The process involved three of my father’s films – ‘The Message,’ ‘Ar-Risalah’ and ‘Lion of the Desert’ – and each of these films is over three hours in length.
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