 Umm Kulthum, the diva of classical Arabic music, was a leading figure in Egyptian and Arab popular culture in the 20th Century. The rise and changes in her career paralleled the rise of the music recording and broadcasting industries in Egypt, and her role in popular culture was singular in that she bridged the divide separating religious and secular expression. Far From You takes us on a journey to Cairo and to the medium of film in which Umm Kulthum s image is forever inscribed, yet forever at a distance.