Youssef Chahine
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).
Photos
Movies (61)
Let's Talk
2019 · Self (archive footage)
Into Studio Masr
2019 · Self
Chahine…Why?
2009 · Self
Chaos, This Is?
2007 · Director, Producer
To Each His Own Cinema
2007 · Director
Ouija
2006
Alexandria... New York
2004 · Director, Writer
September 11
2002 · Writer, Director
Women Who Loved Cinema
2002 · Self
Silence... We're Rolling
2001 · Director, Music, Producer, Writer
Kiarostami in Close up
2000 · as Self
The Other
1999 · Director, Producer, Writer
Concerto in Darb Saada
1998
Kolha Khatwa
1998 · Director, Writer
Destiny
1997 · Director, Writer
Lumière & Company
1995 · Director
The Emigrant
1994 · Director, Writer, Producer
Chahine & Co
1992
Cairo as Told by Youssef Chahine
1991 · Self, Director
Alexandria Again and Forever
1989 · Yehia Eskendarany / Marc Antoine / Sostratus / Hephaestion, Director, Writer
Trio
1987 · Self
Arab Camera
1987 · Self
The Sixth Day
1986 · Rafah, Director, Songs, Writer
Adieu Bonaparte
1985 · Director, Screenplay, Dialogue
An Egyptian Story
1982 · Old Yehia, Director, Producer, Writer
Cinématon XIV
1981 · N°133
Alexandria… Why?
1979 · Director, Producer, Writer
Shafiqa and Metwally
1978 · Producer
The Water-Carrier Is Dead
1977 · Producer
Return of the Prodigal Son
1976 · Producer, Director, Writer
Entelak
1973 · Director, Writer
The Sparrow
1972 · Director, Writer, Producer
The People and the Nile
1972 · Director
Salwa, the Little Girl Who Talks to Cows
1972 · Writer, Director
The Choice
1971 · Director, Writer
Sands of Gold
1971 · Writer, Director
The Land
1970 · Director
The Nile and the Life
1968 · Writer, Director
The Feast of Mairun
1967 · Director
The Ring Seller
1965 · Director
Dawn of a New Day
1964 · Hamada, Director
Saladin
1963 · Director, Screenplay
A Man in My Life
1961 · Director
Lovers' Call
1960 · Director
In Your Hands
1960 · Director
Forever Yours
1959 · Director
Ismail Yassine in the Air Force
1959
Jamila, the Algerian
1958 · Director
Cairo Station
1958 · Qinawi, Director
My One And Only Love
1957 · Director
Farewell, Love
1956 · Director
Struggle in the Harbor
1956 · Screenplay, Story, Director
The Devil of the Desert
1954 · Screenplay, Director
The Blazing Sun
1954 · Director
Women Without Men
1953 · Writer, Director
Lady of The Train
1952 · Screenplay, Director
The Great Clown
1952 · Writer, Director
Son of the Nile
1951 · Director, Writer
Baba Amin
1950 · Director, Writer
School life
1944 · Director, Writer
شاهين ابن النيل
· himself
