The Favorite (1989 film)

For the opera by Donizetti, see La favorite. For the stadium in Palermo, Italy, see La Favorita. For the Canadian early music ensemble, see La Favoritte. For the Brazilian soap opera, see A Favorita.

The Favorite (also titled Intimate Power) is a 1989 film based on a true story that takes place at the dawn of the 19th century.

Premise

A young French woman is kidnapped and forced into a sultan's harem in Turkey. Fiercely independent, she resists, but must make choices in order to survive. She begins to influence the sultan toward more fair manners of solving his conflicts, but finds herself at odds with another of his wives, who wants her son Mustafa to become the new sultan. As the years pass, she must deal with the new sultan's advances while protecting her adopted son Mahmud, and helping the Ottoman Empire against the Russians who have better weapons then they do.

The source for the story is a novel by Prince Michael of Greece titled Sultana - La Nuit du Serail.

Cast

• F. Murray Abraham as Abdul Hamid
• Maud Adams as Sineperver
• Amber O'Shea as Aimée Dubucq de Rivéry
• Ron Dortch as Tulip
• James Michael Gregary as Selim
• Laurent Le Doyen as Sebastiani
• Francesco Quinn as Adult Mahmud
• Andréa Parisy as Mirishah
• Tom McGreevey as Uncle
• Robere Kazadi as Orchid
• Reuven Bar-Yotam as Algerian Captain
• Farouk Peker as Baktar
• John Kennedy Hayden as Chief Janissary
• Mike Johnson as First Mate
• Thomas Rosales Jr. as Third Mate
• Michael Saad as Jeweler
• Dale Dye as French Officer
• Joseph Darrell as Manservant
• Ayse Gungor as Harem Girl
• Starr Andreeff as Harem Girl
• Erica Zeitlin as Harem Girl
• Victoria Dakil as Old Woman
• Roz Witt as Nun
• George Marshall Ruge as Kamir
• Joe El Rady as Boy at the bazar
• Jonathan Vuille as Young Mahmud
• Glenn Scarpelli as Mustafa

Production

• Director: Jack Smight
• Production Company: Ascona Films, Inc.
• Filming Locations: Istanbul, Turkey

Sources

• Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide.
• The Favorite at IMDb