Known For
Directing
Born
Jan 25, 1926
Died
Jul 27, 2008
Place of Birth
Alexandria, Egypt
Credits
65 titles
Youssef Chahine
Biography
Youssef Chahine (born in Alexandria, Egypt, 1926) started studying in a friars' school and then turned to Victoria College until High School Certificate. After one year at the University of Alexandria, he moved to the U.S. and spent two years at the Pasadena Play House, taking courses on film and dramatic arts. After coming back to Egypt, cinematographer Alevise Orfanelli helped him into the film business. His film debut was Baba Amin (1950): one year later, with Son of the Nile (1951) he was first invited to the Cannes Film festival. In 1970, he was awarded a Golden Tanit at the Carthage Festival. With Le moineau (1973), he directed the first Egypt-Algeria co-production. He won a Silver Bear in Berlin for Alexandria... Why? (1979), the first installment in what proved to be an autobiographic trilogy, completed with Hadduta Masriya (1982)(An Egyptian Story (1982)) and Alexandria: Again and Forever (1989). In 1992, Jacques Lassalle proposed him to stage a piece of his choice for Comédie Française: Chahine chose to adapt Albert Camus' "Caligula," which proved hugely successful. The same year he started writing The Emigrant (1994), a story inspired by the Biblical character of Joseph, son of Jacob. This had long been a dream project, and he finally got to shoot it in 1994. In 1997, 46 years and 5 invitations later, he was again selected Hors Competition in Cannes with Destiny (1997).
Known For
Filmography
Let's Talk
Self (archive footage)
Into Studio Masr
Self
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
Self
Chahine…Why?
Self
Chaos, This Is?
Director
To Each His Own Cinema
Director
Ouija
Alexandria... New York
Director
September 11
Writer
Women Who Loved Cinema
Self
Silence... We're Rolling
Director
Kiarostami in Close up
as Self
The Other
Director
Concerto in Darb Saada
Kolha Khatwa
Director
Destiny
Director
Lumière & Company
Director
The Emigrant
Director
Chahine & Co
Cairo as Told by Youssef Chahine
Self
Alexandria Again and Forever
Yehia Eskendarany / Marc Antoine / Sostratus / Hephaestion
Matin Bonheur
Self
Trio
Self
Arab Camera
Self
The Sixth Day
Rafah
Adieu Bonaparte
Director
An Egyptian Story
Old Yehia
Cinématon XIV
N°133
Alexandria… Why?
Director
Shafiqa and Metwally
Producer
The Water-Carrier Is Dead
Producer
Return of the Prodigal Son
Producer
Spécial cinéma
Self
Entelak
Director
The Sparrow
Director
The People and the Nile
Director
Salwa, the Little Girl Who Talks to Cows
Writer
The Choice
Director
Sands of Gold
Writer
The Land
Director
The Nile and the Life
Writer
The Feast of Mairun
Director
The Ring Seller
Director
Dawn of a New Day
Hamada
Saladin
Director
A Man in My Life
Director
Lovers' Call
Director
In Your Hands
Director
Forever Yours
Director
Ismail Yassine in the Air Force