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
مخرج مصري، ولد في مدينة الإسكندرية في أسرة متوسطة لمحام كاثوليكي هاجر إلى مصر من رحلة من لبنان في القرن 19، وأم مسيحية من أصل يوناني. وكان بيت أسرته يتحدث أربعة لغات، وتربّى على المذهب الكاثوليكي. بدأ دراسته في كلية (سان مارك) الفرنسية بالإسكندرية ومنها إلى (كلية فيكتوريا) الإنجليزية في مرحلته الثانوية. عام 1946 وبعد أن أقنع عائلته سافر إلى الولايات المتحدة حيث درس الفنون التمثيلية بكلية (مسرح باسادينا) بكاليفورنيا. وبعد عودته لمصر قرر أن يتحول للإخراج، وساعده المصور (ألفايس أورفانيلّي) في البدء بالعمل في السينما. أخرج أول فيلم له (بابا أمين) عام 1950 في سن 23. وتلاه بفيلم (ابن النيل) الذي دُعي فيه لمهرجان (كان) السينمائي للمرة الأولى. قدم العديد من الأعمال الخالدة مثل (المهاجر) و(المصير) و(إسكندريه ليه؟) و(هي فوضى). توفى عام 2008 بعد إصابته بجلطة في المخ.
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