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).
Known for
DirectingBirthday
January 25, 1926Deathday
July 27, 2008Gender
MaleKnown Movie Credits
61Place of birth
Alexandria, EgyptAlso known as
Yussef Shahin, Youssef Shahine, يوسف شاهين, Юсеф ШахинCast credits
Cairo Station
قناويAlexandria Again and Forever
Yehia Eskendarany / Marc Antoine / Sostratus / HephaestionTrio
SelfThe Sixth Day
RafahWomen Who Loved Cinema
SelfArab Camera
SelfKiarostami in Close up
as SelfCairo as Told by Youssef Chahine
SelfAn Egyptian Story
Old YehiaDawn of a New Day
HamadaWomen Without Men
Ismail Yassine in the Air Force
Let's Talk
Self (archive footage)Concerto in Darb Saada
Into Studio Masr
SelfOuija
Crew credits
Alexandria… Why?
Director, Writer, ProducerDestiny
Director, WriterSaladin the Victorious
Director, ScreenplayCairo Station
DirectorThe Sixth Day
Director, Writer, SongsThe Emigrant
Director, Producer, WriterThe Land
DirectorThe Sparrow
Director, Writer, ProducerAn Egyptian Story
Director, Writer, ProducerAlexandria Again and Forever
Director, WriterThe Other
Director, Producer, WriterSilence... We're Rolling
Director, Writer, Producer, MusicReturn of the Prodigal Son
Director, Writer, ProducerChaos, This Is?
Director, ProducerAdieu Bonaparte
Director, WriterThe Blazing Sun
DirectorSon of the Nile
Director, WriterThe Choice
Director, WriterBaba Amin
Director, WriterJamila, the Algerian
DirectorIn Your Hands
Director