
Directing
Community Rating
6.0
TMDB estimate
Born
January 25, 1926
Died
July 27, 2008 (age 82)
Born in
Alexandria, Egypt
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).

Let's Talk
Self (archive footage)
2019

Into Studio Masr
Self
2019

Chahine…Why?
Self
2009

Ouija
2006

Women Who Loved Cinema
Self
2002

Kiarostami in Close up
as Self
2000

شاهين ابن النيل
himself

Concerto in Darb Saada
1998

Chahine & Co
1992

Cairo as Told by Youssef Chahine
Self
1991

Alexandria Again and Forever
Yehia Eskendarany / Marc Antoine / Sostratus / Hephaestion
1989

Trio
Self
1987

Arab Camera
Self
1987

The Sixth Day
Rafah
1986

An Egyptian Story
Old Yehia
1982
Cinématon XIV
N°133
1981

Dawn of a New Day
Hamada
1964

Ismail Yassine in the Air Force
1959

Cairo Station
Qinawi
1958

Women Without Men
1953

Chaos, This Is?
Director
2007

To Each His Own Cinema
Director
2007

Alexandria... New York
Director
2004

September 11
Director
2002

Silence... We're Rolling
Director
2001

The Other
Director
1999

Kolha Khatwa
Director
1998

Destiny
Director
1997

Lumière & Company
Director
1995

The Emigrant
Director
1994

Cairo as Told by Youssef Chahine
Director
1991

Alexandria Again and Forever
Director
1989

The Sixth Day
Director
1986

Adieu Bonaparte
Director
1985

An Egyptian Story
Director
1982

Alexandria… Why?
Director
1979

Return of the Prodigal Son
Director
1976

Entelak
Director
1973

The Sparrow
Director
1972

The People and the Nile
Director
1972