Youssef Chahine
Born: 1926-01-25 in Alexandria, Egypt
Died: 2008-07-27
Known For: Directing
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).
Filmography
2019
- Into Studio Masr as Self
- Let's Talk as Self (archive footage)
2011
- The Story of Film: An Odyssey as Self
2009
- Chahine…Why? as Self
2007
- To Each His Own Cinema ... (Director)
- Chaos, This Is? ... (Director)
2006
2004
- Alexandria... New York ... (Director)
2002
- September 11 ... (Writer)
- Women Who Loved Cinema as Self
2001
- Silence... We're Rolling ... (Director)
2000
- Kiarostami in Close up as as Self
1999
- The Other ... (Director)
1998
- Concerto in Darb Saada
- Kolha Khatwa ... (Director)
1997
- Destiny ... (Director)
1995
- Lumière & Company ... (Director)
1994
- The Emigrant ... (Director)
1992
1991
- Cairo as Told by Youssef Chahine as Self
1989
- Alexandria Again and Forever as Yehia Eskendarany / Marc Antoine / Sostratus / Hephaestion
1987
- Matin Bonheur as Self
- Arab Camera as Self
- Trio as Self
1986
- The Sixth Day as Rafah
1985
- Adieu Bonaparte ... (Director)
1982
- An Egyptian Story as Old Yehia
1981
- Cinématon XIV as N°133
1979
- Alexandria… Why? ... (Director)
1978
- Shafiqa and Metwally ... (Producer)
1977
- The Water-Carrier Is Dead ... (Producer)
1976
- Return of the Prodigal Son ... (Producer)
1974
- Spécial cinéma as Self
1973
- Entelak ... (Director)
1972
- The Sparrow ... (Director)
- The People and the Nile ... (Director)
- Salwa, the Little Girl Who Talks to Cows ... (Writer)
1971
- Sands of Gold ... (Writer)
- The Choice ... (Director)
1970
- The Land ... (Director)
1968
- The Nile and the Life ... (Writer)
1967
- The Feast of Mairun ... (Director)
1965
- The Ring Seller ... (Director)
1964
- Dawn of a New Day as Hamada
1963
- Saladin ... (Director)
1961
- A Man in My Life ... (Director)
1960
- In Your Hands ... (Director)
- Lovers' Call ... (Director)
1959
- Ismail Yassine in the Air Force
- Forever Yours ... (Director)
1958
- Cairo Station as Qinawi
- Jamila, the Algerian ... (Director)
1957
- My One And Only Love ... (Director)
1956
- Struggle in the Harbor ... (Screenplay)
- Farewell, Love ... (Director)
1954
- The Blazing Sun ... (Director)
- The Devil of the Desert ... (Screenplay)
1953
1952
- The Great Clown ... (Writer)
- Lady of The Train ... (Screenplay)
1951
- Son of the Nile ... (Director)
1950
- Baba Amin ... (Director)
1944
- School life ... (Director)