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).
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (47)
Let's Talk
as Self (archive footage)
2019
Into Studio Masr
as Self
2019
Chaos, This Is?
Director (Directing)
2007
To Each His Own Cinema
Director (Directing)
2007
Ouija
2006
Alexandria... New York
Director (Directing)
2004
September 11
Director (Directing)
2002
Women Who Loved Cinema
as Self
2002
Silence... We're Rolling
Director (Directing)
2001
Kiarostami in Close up
as as Self
2000
The Other
Director (Directing)
1999
Concerto in Darb Saada
1998
Kolha Khatwa
Director (Directing)
1998
Destiny
Director (Directing)
1997
Lumière & Company
Director (Directing)
1995
The Emigrant
Director (Directing)
1994
Chahine & Co
1992
Cairo as Told by Youssef Chahine
as Self
1991
Alexandria Again and Forever
as Yehia Eskendarany / Marc Antoine / Sostratus / Hephaestion
1989
Trio
as Self
1987
Arab Camera
as Self
1987
The Sixth Day
as Rafah
1986
Adieu Bonaparte
Director (Directing)
1985
An Egyptian Story
as Old Yehia
1982
Cinématon XIV
as N°133
1981
Alexandria… Why?
Director (Directing)
1979
Shafiqa and Metwally
Producer (Production)
1978
The Water-Carrier Is Dead
Producer (Production)
1977
Return of the Prodigal Son
Producer (Production)
1976
Entelak
Director (Directing)
1973
The Sparrow
Director (Directing)
1972
The People and the Nile
Director (Directing)
1972
Salwa, the Little Girl Who Talks to Cows
Writer (Writing)
1972
The Choice
Director (Directing)
1971
Sands of Gold
Writer (Writing)
1971
The Land
Director (Directing)
1970
The Nile and the Life
Writer (Writing)
1968
The Feast of Mairun
Director (Directing)
1967
The Ring Seller
Director (Directing)
1965
Dawn of a New Day
as Hamada
1964
Saladin the Victorious
Director (Directing)
1963
A Man in My Life
Director (Directing)
1961
Lovers' Call
Director (Directing)
1960
In Your Hands
Director (Directing)
1960
Forever Yours
Director (Directing)
1959
Ismail Yassine in the Air Force
1959
Jamila, the Algerian
Director (Directing)
1958
