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).
Acting
Movie
Cairo Station
as Qinawi
1958
TV
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
as Self
2011
Movie
Alexandria Again and Forever
as Yehia Eskendarany / Marc Antoine / Sostratus / Hephaestion
1989
Movie
An Egyptian Story
as Old Yehia
1982
Movie
Ouija
2006
Movie
The Sixth Day
as Rafah
1986
Movie
Cairo as Told by Youssef Chahine
as Self
1991
Movie
Dawn of a New Day
as Hamada
1964
Movie
Arab Camera
as Self
1987
Movie
Ismail Yassine in the Air Force
1959
Movie
Women Without Men
1953
Movie
Let's Talk
as Self (archive footage)
2019
TV
Spécial cinéma
as Self
1974
Movie
Concerto in Darb Saada
1998
Movie
Kiarostami in Close up
as as Self
2000
Movie
Into Studio Masr
as Self
2019
Movie
Trio
as Self
1987
Movie
Women Who Loved Cinema
as Self
2002
Movie
Cinématon XIV
as N°133
1981
Movie
Chahine & Co
1992
Movie
Chahine…Why?
as Self
2009
Movie
شاهين ابن النيل
as himself
TV
Matin Bonheur
as Self
1987
TV
Shaheen... Why?
as self
Crew
Movie
To Each His Own Cinema
Director
2007
Movie
Cairo Station
Director
1958
Movie
September 11
Director
2002
Movie
Lumière & Company
Director
1995
Movie
Destiny
Director
1997
Movie
The Blazing Sun
Director
1954
Movie
The Land
Director
1970
Movie
Return of the Prodigal Son
Producer
1976
Movie
Saladin
Director
1963
Movie
Alexandria… Why?
Director
1979
Movie
Chaos, This Is?
Director
2007
Movie
The Emigrant
Director
1994