Directed by Youssef Chahine • 1982 • Egypt
Starring Nour el-Sherif, Youssra, Soheir el-Bably
A continuation of the self-exploration Youssef Chahine began with ALEXANDRIA . . . WHY?, this second autobiographical film unfolds as a surreal profusion of memories, fantasies, flashbacks, and hallucinations as an ailing filmmaker (Nour el-Sherif) witnesses his life come flooding back to him while undergoing open-heart surgery. Entwining explicit references to Chahine’s own life and career (including his sexuality, his many clashes with censorship, and his struggle to carve out a place for himself in the international film scene) with a sweeping overview of twentieth-century Egyptian history, this boldly imaginative self-portrait is a rare instance of a major artist turning his life inside out with the utmost courage and candor.
Up Next in Directed by Youssef Chahine
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Dark Waters
Directed by Youssef Chahine • 1956 • Egypt
Starring Omar Sharif, Faten Hamama, Ahmed RamzyA hard-hitting commentary on class struggle and machismo set amid the dockyards of Alexandria in the immediate aftermath of Egypt’s 1952 revolution, this feverish social-realist melodrama stars the great ...
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Dawn of a New Day
Directed by Youssef Chahine • 1965 • Egypt
Starring Seif Abdel-Rahman, Sanaa Gamil, Youssef ChahineCited by director Youssef Chahine as one of his personal favorites among his films, this florid Sirkian melodrama that doubles as a subversive portrait of class conflict in the aftermath of the ...
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Destiny
Directed by Youssef Chahine • 1997 • Egypt
Starring Nour el-Sherif, Laila Eloui, Khaled el-NabawyAs a liberal humanist whose ideals were often at odds with the encroaching forces of religious fundamentalism, director Youssef Chahine found rich personal resonances in this urgent and engaging hi...
