Pharaoh

Pharaoh was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1967 Academy Awards and screened at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival. For historical accuracy, director Jerzy Kawalerowicz spent over two months in Egypt with Poland's leading Egyptologist, Kazimierz Michałowski, and his team, producing thousands of drawings of the monuments. The production spanned three continents: some scenes were shot at real Egyptian locations, crowd scenes were filmed in temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in Uzbekistan's Kyzylkum Desert, and a full scale ancient Egyptian ship was built based on 4,000 year old drawings. Who it's for: anyone curious about a meticulous historical epic built on two months of research with an Egyptologist and shot across three continents, complete with a full scale reconstructed ancient ship. Who it's not for: viewers wanting a light period drama with no concern for historical accuracy.