Youssef Chahine
Directing
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
Directing46
movieChaos, This Is?
2007
Director
movieTo Each His Own Cinema
2007
Director
movieAlexandria... New York
2004
Director
movieSeptember 11
2002
Director
movieThe Other
1999
Director
movieKolha Khatwa
1998
Director
movieDestiny
1997
Director
movieLumière & Company
1995
Director
movieThe Emigrant
1994
Director
movieThe Sixth Day
1986
Director
movieAdieu Bonaparte
1985
Director
movieAn Egyptian Story
1982
Director
movieAlexandria… Why?
1979
Director
movieEntelak
1973
Director
movieThe Sparrow
1972
Director
movieThe People and the Nile
1972
Director
movieThe Choice
1971
Director
movieSands of Gold
1971
Director
movieThe Land
1970
Director
movieThe Nile and the Life
1968
Director
movieThe Feast of Mairun
1967
Director
movieThe Ring Seller
1965
Director
movieDawn of a New Day
1964
Director
movieSaladin
1963
Director
movieA Man in My Life
1961
Director
movieLovers' Call
1960
Director
movieIn Your Hands
1960
Director
movieForever Yours
1959
Director
movieJamila, the Algerian
1958
Director
movieCairo Station
1958
Director
movieMy One And Only Love
1957
Director
movieFarewell, Love
1956
Director
movieStruggle in the Harbor
1956
Director
movieThe Devil of the Desert
1954
Director
movieThe Blazing Sun
1954
Director
movieWomen Without Men
1953
Director
movieLady of The Train
1952
Director
movieThe Great Clown
1952
Director
movieSon of the Nile
1951
Director
movieBaba Amin
1950
Director
movieSchool life
1944
Director
Writing28
movieSeptember 11
2002
Writer
movieThe Other
1999
Writer
movieKolha Khatwa
1998
Writer
movieDestiny
1997
Writer
movieThe Emigrant
1994
Writer
movieThe Sixth Day
1986
Writer
movieAdieu Bonaparte
1985
Writer
movieEntelak
1973
Writer
movieThe Sparrow
1972
Writer
movieThe Choice
1971
Writer
movieSands of Gold
1971
Writer
movieSaladin
1963
Screenplay
movieStruggle in the Harbor
1956
Screenplay, Story
movieThe Devil of the Desert
1954
Screenplay
movieLady of The Train
1952
Screenplay
movieThe Great Clown
1952
Writer
movieSon of the Nile
1951
Writer
movieBaba Amin
1950
Writer
movieSchool life
1944
Writer
Acting24
movieLet's Talk
2019
Self (archive footage)
movieAlexandria Again and Forever
1989
Yehia Eskendarany / Marc Antoine / Sostratus / Hephaestion
movieTrio
1987
Self
movieAn Egyptian Story
1982
Old Yehia
movieCairo Station
1958
Qinawi
movieشاهين ابن النيل
himself
Production10
movieChaos, This Is?
2007
Producer
movieThe Other
1999
Producer
movieThe Emigrant
1994
Producer
movieAn Egyptian Story
1982
Producer
movieAlexandria… Why?
1979
Producer
movieShafiqa and Metwally
1978
Producer
movieThe Sparrow
1972
Producer