Vedat Örfi Bengü

Vedat Örfi Bengü, also spelt as Wedad Orfi, and Wadad Orfi, (October 14, 1900 – May 25, 1953) was a Turkish-Egyptian silent film producer and actor.

Career Controversy depicting Muhammad In 1926, Örfi approached Youssef Wahbi to play the role of Muhammad in a film, which would be financed by the Turkish government and a German producer. Whilst the President of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and the Istanbul Council of Ulamas gave their approval to the film, the Islamic Al-Azhar University in Cairo published a juridical decision stipulating that Islam forbids the representation of Muhammad and his companions. The film was later remade and released as "Laila" ("Leila") with some of Orfi’s original shots left in the film. The latter production is often considered to be the first Egyptian feature film.

Filmography

In Egypt 1927: Laila 1928: The Victim / al-Dahiyyah 1929: The Beauty from the Desert / Ghaddat al-sahra 1929: The Drama of Life / Ma Sat al-Hayat

In Turkey

Personal life In the 1930s Örfi moved to Turkey.