Set in 1881, a year before the start of British colonial rule, it is based on the true story of the Abd el-Rasuls, an Upper-Egyptian clan that had been robbing a cache of mummies they have discovered at tomb DB320 near the village of Kurna, and selling the artifacts on the black market. After a conflict within the clan, one of its members made a crucial decision when the Antiquities Service arrived.
The Night of Counting the Years, also released in Egypt as The Mummy, is a 1969 Egyptian film and the only feature film directed by Shadi Abdel Salam. It features a special appearance by Nadia Lutfi. It is the 3rd on the list of Top 100 Egyptian films. The film was produced by Roberto Rossellini for General Egyptian Cinema Organisation. Rossellini was instrumental in encouraging Abdel Salam to make the film, which tells a story set among the grave robbers of Kurna in Upper Egypt.
