IN THE SHADOW OF THE PHARAOH-Portrait of a Gatekeeper:Zahi Hawass-2026

For thirty years, Zahi Hawass has been the face of ancient Egypt—the fedora-wearing showman who convinced the world that no one loves the pharaohs more than he does. But behind the television fame lies a darker story: a man who publicly claims he is the reincarnation of Pharaoh Khufu, who declares that he cannot live without the Egyptian antiquities and that they cannot live without him, and who has spent his career silencing researchers, burying evidence, banning colleagues, and cementing his own mythology over science. From financial scandals and racist statements to sealed chambers and suppressed discoveries, this film exposes the gatekeeper of Giza—not as a guardian of history, but as a self-appointed god-king who may have buried as much truth as he ever unearthed. Join me josh reeves for my 115th film,

In the shadow of the pharaoh 

Portrait of a gatekeeper:Zahi Hawass