Youssef Chahine
Date of Birth: 25 Jan 1926
Country: Egypt
Biography: Youssef Chahine (born in Alexandria, Egypt, 1926) started studying in a friars' school, and then turned to English College until the High School Certificate. 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 coming back to Egypt, cinematographer Alevise Orfanelli helped him into the film business. His film debut was Baba Amin (1950): one year later, with Ibn el Nil (1952) he was fir
Total Credits at Criticker: 4 (Actor), 24 (Director), 17 (Writer)
Biography submitted by Asm Nabil and picture by madisalvador
Find more information about Youssef Chahine at The Internet Movie Database
Titles you haven't rated - Actor (4) | Director (24) | Writer (17)
The effects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks are told from different points of view around the world. [IMDB]
40 international directors were asked to make a short film using the original Cinematographe invented by the Lumière Brothers, working under conditions similar to those of 1895. There were three rules: (1) The film could be no longer than 52 seconds, (2) no synchronized sound was permitted, and (3) no more than three takes. The results run the gamut from Zhang Yimou's convention-thwarting joke to David Lynch's bizarre miniature epic. (imdb)
Choubra, cosmopolitan neighborhood of Cairo. Hatem, maggoty police officer, handles this neighborhood with an iron hand. Every single citizen fears and hates him. Only Nour, a young woman he lusts after, dares stand up to him... (imdb)
A crippled newspaper salesman falls in love with a soda pop seller which soons turns into an unhealthy and dangerous obsession in Egypt's main railroad station.
The story is set in the 12th century in Arab-ruled Spanish province Andalusia, where famed philosopher Averroes is appointed grand judge by the caliph and his liberal court judgements are not liked by everyone. The caliph's political rivals, centered around the leader of a fanatical Islamic sect, force the caliph to send Averroes into exile, but his ideas keep on living thanks to his students. (imdb)
The last film in Youssef Chahine's autobiographical Alexandria Trilogy stars Chahine himself as his cinematic alter ego, Yehia Mourad, completing his merging of fiction with real life and drama with psychodrama. Opening with Chahine's triumph at the Berlin Film Festival, where he took home the Silver Bear for Alexandria...Why? (the first film in the trilogy--this is layered stuff), the film explores Yehia's obsession with his young star, Amir, while participating in the general strike of 1987.
Set in the Egypt during and after World War II, Youssef Chahine's autobiographical drama of his youth in Cairo is a bright, bustling mosaic of a country embroiled in conflict and struggling with its identity. Centered on the story of high school student Yehia Mourad (Mohsen Mohiedine), Chahine's cinematic alter ego, it's national history through a personal perspective and the first film autobiography ever in Egyptian cinema. (imdb)
Saladin, ruler of the kingdoms surrounding the Latin state of Jerusalem, is brought to attack the Christians in the Holy Land by the sacking of a convoy of Muslim pilgrims, a group which included his sister. In a short campaign against odds, Jerusalem is taken and almost the entire Middle East is in Muslim hands. Crusade is called again in Europe, and the combined forces of the French king, German emperor, and English king form the 3rd Crusade... (imdb)
Interconnecting stories set at the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli conflict, about a policeman investigating corruption, a soldier at the warfront and a journalist investigating the black market.
The story concerns a benevolent farmer, his troubled son and his grandson, who is beginning to chafe under his father's restrictions; the situation is given an explosive charge by the return from prison of the patriarch's beloved younger son. (Harvard Film Archive)
In the middle of his own heart surgery, an Egyptian filmmaker remembers his life. In fact his old self, as a child, is accused of attempted murder of his new self. Through the metaphoric trial, we are drawn into his life in relation with the Egyptian revolution, his constant need for success, and the effect the American Dream has on him. (imdb)
Dgamilah or Jamila, an Algerian girl who loves her homeland,will join the patriotic movement of her country to liberate her homeland from the french soldiers who occupy her country. (imdb)
Omar Sharif plays Ahmed, an engineer whose father is a farmer and a farm owner. His father succeeds in improving and increasing the production of sugar cane in his farm. Taher Pasha, a wealthy land owner, who runs a competing sugar cane production facility, feels threatened by his recent production prosperity. Ahmed is in a love relationship with the pasha's daughter, Amal, but as a consequence to the rivalry between both their fathers, he is compelled to hide their relationship. (youssefchahine.us)
Set in Alexandria, this film centers on the lives of sailors. Hamidah (Faten Hamama) works on a ship and plans to marry her cousin, Ragab (Omar Sharif). Ragab goes away for an extended absence. During that time Hamidah falls in love with the wealthy Mamdouh (Ahmed Ramzy). When Ragab returns three years later he fights to win her back and they marry. (Musicman.com)
A story during the French Occupation of Egypt (1797-1803), depicting the conflict between tradintion and modernization in the context of fighting the French invadors. (imdb)
Yehia, an Egyptian director from Alexandria goes to New York where he is reunited with Ginger, a women he dated forty years ago. (imdb)
The biblical tale of Joseph is told from an Egyptian perspective in this interesting character study. In this film, Joseph is called Ram. Ram, tired of his family's backward superstitious life, and tired of being picked on by his brothers, wants to go to Egypt to study agriculture. His brothers travel with him across Sinai, but then suddenly sell him to Ozir, an Egyptian who works for a Theban military leader, Amihar. (imdb)
In a village the mayor invents the mystical figure of Rajeh and tells stories about the exploits of Rajeh, who kills and steals. One day the mayor tells the villagers that Rajeh is heading to the village and they better be careful. Two men notice that the mayor was lying and that it is all his imagination. They go on making good on the fictitious person and steal money and assault the mayor in the dark saying that they were Rajeh. Eventually, an old man called Rajeh arrives in the village. (imdb)
Drama about Malak, a rich and famous singing star who, when her husband leaves her, takes up with the younger, handsome Lamei. What Malak can't see - but her family can - is that Lamei is only after her money. (imdb)
An unhappy village farmer goes to the city and ends up in the cross hairs of dreaded criminals.
Essam is a young bedouin who discovers the tyranny of his tribe’s ruler and decides to overthrow him. He sneaks into the royal court, gains the king’s trust and becomes his consultant. A gypsy falls in love with him but discovers he is in love with another woman and exposes him to the king. (Mubi.com)
1947 Cairo. Washerwoman Lavandiere dreams of escaping reality through movies. A charming organ grinder offers excitement, but a cholera outbreak threatens her son. Desperate, she fights to save him.