Biographies: Youssef Chahine - Director

Biographies

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Youssef Chahine (born in Alexandria, 1926) started studying in a friars' school, and then turned to Victoria College until the baccalaureate. After one year in 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 returning to Egypt, cinematographer Alevise Orfanelli helped him into the film business. His film debut was Baba Ameen i.e. Father Ameen (1950)”. One year later, with “Ebn Aal-Neel Son of the Nile” he was first invited to the Cannes Film festival. In 1958, he directed “Baab al-hadeed i.e. Cairo Station” and”Djamila Bouhired”. In 1970, his film “Al-ard i.e. The land” wone a Golden Tanit at the Carthage Film Festival and was nominated for Palme d’Or. With “Al-osfour i.e. The sparrow (1973)”, he directed the first Egypt-Algeria co-production. He won a Silver Bear in Berlin for “Eskendereyya..leih? Alexandria..Why? (1979)”, the first of what proved to be an autobiographic set of films, completed by “Haddouta Masreyya i.e. Egyptian tale (1982)”, “Eskendereyya kamaan we kamaan i.e. Alexandria again and forever (1990)” and “Eskendereyya..New York i.e. Alexandria..New York (2004)”. In 1992, French director Jacques Lassalle proposed him to stage a piece of his choice for the Comédie Française; Chahine chose to adapt Albert Camus' "Caligula," which proved hugely successful. The same year he started “Al-mohaager i.e. The immigrant (1994)”, a story inspired by the character of Prophet Joseph, son of Jacob. This had long been a dream-project. In 1997, 46 years and 5 invitations later, he was again selected Hors Competition in Cannes with “Al-masseer i.e. Destiny” and was awarded the Fiftieth Anniversary Prize (Lifetime Achievement Award for his whole works). Between 1970 and 2002, Chahine won 7 awards from many International Film Festivals and was nominated 9 other times. Worth mention, Chahine always had his own way in acting which seems contagious to all his cast with a few exceptions. He established “Aflaam Misr al-Alameyya i.e. Misr International Films” along with Gabriel and Marianne Khoury.

4 May 2011
Achraf Wassim