Biography

Camelia (Egyptian Arabic: كاميليا, born Lilian Victor Cohen), was an Egyptian actress. She was born on December 13, 1919, and died on August 31, 1950. Camelia was born in Alexandria to an Egyptian-Italian Catholic family. She was discovered by Egyptian director Ahmed Salem who cast her in her first film in 1946.

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 30 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, "Hafeya A'la Gesr El Zahab" (Barefoot on a Golden Bridge) to her.