Directed by Youssef Chahine • 1956 • Egypt
Starring Omar Sharif, Faten Hamama, Ahmed Ramzy
A 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 Omar Sharif in one of his earliest film roles. He delivers an intense performance as Ragab, a sailor who must leave behind his beloved Hamidah (Faten Hamama, at the time Sharif’s real-life wife) for a long voyage at sea. When he returns after three years and discovers that she has taken up with the wealthy Mamdouh (the heartthrob Ahmed Ramzy), the volatile Ragab fights to win her back.
Up Next in Directed by Youssef Chahine
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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...
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Father Amin
Directed by Youssef Chahine • 1950 • Egypt
Starring Faten Hamama, Hussein Riad, Farid ShawqiYoussef Chahine’s debut feature—made at the age of just twenty-four, shortly after his time studying acting in Los Angeles—is a touching, bighearted blend of family drama and fantasy (with musical numbe...
