Camelia (actor)


Camelia, born Lilian Victor Cohen was an Egyptian actress. She was born on December 13, 1919 and died on August 31, 1950.

Biography

Camelia was born in Alexandria to either a Greek Jewish or a French father and an Egyptian Catholic mother of Italian origin. Despite her Jewish surname, Camelia presented herself as a Christian. She was discovered by director Ahmed Salem who cast her in her first film in 1946 at the age of 27..
As a beautiful socialite in the
high society of Alexandria, she loved partying. Events surrounding her and her high-society relationships frequently appeared in the tabloids. In particular, gossip surrounding her relationships was often associated with that of Farouk of Egypt.
Camelia was killed in the crash of TWA Flight 903 in 1950 when she was 31 years old. The accident added to the fame and mystery surrounding her image. Her wild lifestyle and tragic death are often compared to that of Marilyn Monroe. Conspiracy theories and speculation about espionage, especially in the context of Israel were also widespread in Egypt, but nothing has ever been proven. Despite a short career, she gained a place in the memory of Egyptian and Arab audiences and left a mark in the films that are still shown all over the Arab world. Famed Egyptian director Atef Salem dedicated his film, "Barefoot on a Golden Bridge" to her.

Selected Films