Youssef Chahine

Egyptian director Youssef Chahine is one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema. His films are powerfull and moving and his directing style truly unique. His films have always represented and touched the masses and still continue to touch audiences all over the world. Egyptians and Arabs have been very lucky to have grown up on his amazing films, which non Arab audiences weren’t exposed to till much later.

To me he represents true art. Creativity. He had vision and brought it to life in a series of fantastic, thought provoking and unique films. He’s my all time favourite director and hearing that he’s currently in a coma has left me speechless.

Filmography:

Baba Amin (Papa Amin)- 1950 بابا أمين

El mohareg el kebyr (The Big Clown) – المهرج الكبير

Enta habyby (You’re My Love) – إنت حبيبى

Ibn al-Nil (Nile Boy) – 1951 إبن النيل

Sira` Fi al-Wadi (The Blazing Sun, Mortal Revenge, Struggle in the Valley)- 1954 صراع فى الوادى

Sira` fi el-Minaa (Dark Waters, Struggle in the Port)- 1956 صراع فى الميناء

Salwa al fatah al saghyra allaty tokalem el abkar (Salwa the little girl who talks to cows) – سلوى الفتاة الصغيرة التى تكلم الأبقار

Bab al-Hadid (Cairo Station or Cairo Main Station)- 1958 باب الحديد

Djamila Buhraid- 1958 جميلة بوحريد

Al Nasser Salah Ad-Din (The Victorious Saladin) – 1963 الناصر صلاح الدين

Fagr youm gedyd (Dawn of a New Day) – 1964 فجر يوم جديد

‘Biyaa El Khawatem’” (The Ring Salesman) produced in 1965 (based on the musical of 1964) بياع الخواتم

Al-Ard (The Land)- 1969 الأرض

El Asfur (The Bird) – العصفور

Al-Ekhtyiar (the Choice) – الإختيار

Awdet el ebn el dal(Return of The Prodigal Son) – 1976 عودة الإبن الضال

Iskandariyah… leih? (Alexandria… Why?)- 1978 إسكندرية… ليه؟

Hadduta Misriyah (An Egyptian Tale)- 1982 حدوتة مصرية

Wadaan Bonabart (Adieu Bonaparte) – 1985 وداعا بونابرت

al-Yawm al-Sadis (The Sixth Day) – 1987 اليوم السادس

Iskandariyah Kaman wa Kaman (Alexandria Again and Again)- 1990 إسكندرية كمان وكمان

El kahera menawara be 2ahlaha – القاهرة منورة بأهلها

Al-Mohagir (The Emigrant)- 1994المهاجر

Al-Massir (The Destiny) – 1997 المصير

Al-Akhar (The Other) الآخر

Sokoot Hansawwar (Silence, We’re Rolling) سكوت ح نصور

Iskandariyah-New York (Alexandria-New York) إسكندرية-نيويورك

Heya Fawda (This Is Chaos) – 2007 هي فوضى (premiere at the Venice Film Festival)

 ”I make my films first for myself. Then for my family. Then for Alexandria. Then for Egypt. And if the Arab world likes them, ahlan wa sahlan [welcome]. And if the foreign audience likes them–they are doubly welcome.”

Please get better.

 

 

Egyptian film posters

These amazing examples of vintage and colourful posters truly reflected the state of Egyptian cinema in the “good old days”. Not only did Egyptian cinema represent a thriving and creative industry, where talent and creativity naturally flourished, but it also showed an amazing attention to detail. Today’s films are bland at best and awful, uninspiring, lacking on the talent front and quite frankly criminal, if we’re being completely honest. The posters speak for themselves. This was an era when only talent and creativity made it. When vision was appreciated and implemented for all the world to see and cinema goers to enjoy.