Syrian director Hatem Ali has died aged 58.
The popular filmmaker and actor passed away in Egypt on Tuesday after suffering a heart attack, media outlets have reported
.
The news was announced by screenwriter Abdul Rahim Kamal on social media, who shared a photo of himself with the late director, writing “goodbye my friend”.
Other celebrities have taken to social media to share tributes, including Saudi businesswoman and activist Muna AbuSulayman, Lebanese singer Aline Lahoud and many others.
AbuSulayman tweeted that the loss is indescribable :
Today the Arab world is in shock as it lost arguably its most brilliant writer and director #Hatim Ali whose whole oeuvre every single work was brilliant, moving, visually beautifully and made complicated histories understandable to the masses.