Contract Films
by Pierre Sioufi
This poster comes from a period when what is called aflam al-moqawalat "contract films" were produced. These films were rumored to have been produced according to a formula in which a distributor would buy the rights and a producer would be on call with a crew of actors and a director to shoot a fast, cheap movie that would hopefully be a hit. "The Three Hostesses" featured a low-budget cast of starlets who were later forgotten quickly; they appeared on the poster merely to show flesh and draw in an audience. Sometimes older stars with fading popularity who could be hired at budget rates would also be used for films like this.
These films were a kind of cinematic fast food: shallow productions shot quickly to keep costs low.
 al-intiqam liragab (1984) |
 al-shaytan yuqadam halan (1991) |