Youssef Chahine

Youssef Chahine Gabriel (Arabic يوسف شاهين Yusif Shahin, DMG Yusif Sahin, born January 25, 1926 in Alexandria, † July 27, 2008 in Cairo ) was an Egyptian film director.

Life

Chahine came from a Catholic family in Alexandria, his father was a distinguished lawyer of Lebanese descent, and his mother came from Greece. After graduating from the British Victoria College in Alexandria and one year was at the University of Alexandria, he went to the USA and spend two years studying acting and directing at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena ( California). After his return in 1948 he appeared as an actor in films. In 1950 he made ​​his directorial debut and his first films were still commercially. But already in 1954 with Deadly Revenge ( Sira ` Fi al - Wadi ), he formulated a first critique of the social conditions. This film made ​​him at his presentation at the film festival in Cannes in 1954 not only known as a director, but also the first time the actor Omar Sharif.

In his politically controversial films he manages to combine Arabic traditions and perspectives with social criticism, and to make still popular cinema. He works partly in the style of neo-realism. Frequently, the films have made the search for the causes of the problems of modern Egyptian civilization. In many Arab countries have Chahine's films to date performance ban. As a cinematic climax of his life's work is considered by many film critics, his autobiographical Alexandria trilogy. In Alexandria ... Why? (1978 ) he described the Egyptian Jews of the 1940s as neighbors and friends who were forced because of the violence of the Second World War to emigrate to Palestine.

Because of difficulties with the censor board had to temporarily emigrate in the 1960s Chahine during the socialist rule of Gamal Abdel Nasser. He became world famous in 1985 by its movie Adieu Bonaparte with Michel Piccoli. In 1997 he took on the film festival in Cannes this opportunity, his Egyptian colleagues accuse insignificance: " " The Egyptian cinema has died. " [ ... ] The modern Egyptian comedies are without each level. Hardly anyone dare to seriously to the real issues approach. "Nevertheless Chahine had become in the Arab world to a father figure.

Chahine spoke English and French, and knew Alexandria of his youth nor as a cosmopolitan city, in addition to Arabs and Greeks and Italians lived. Throughout his life he struggled in his films, against narrow-mindedness and bigotry. He often had to fend against state censorship and threats from Islamists.

15 June 2008 as a result of intracerebral hemorrhage Chahine fell into a coma from which he never woke up. Chahine is survived by his wife Colette French. The marriage remained childless.

Filmography

Chahine turned 50 films and documentaries.

Awards