The BA Celebrates Youssef Chahine’s Anniversary After his Death Last Year
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Alexandria— The BA Arts Center is organizing a celebration entitled “Youssef Chahine’s Year” from Sunday, 25 to Tuesday, 27 January 2009, on the occasion of the first anniversary after his death last year. The event includes an exhibition of photographs capturing Chahine’s life, clips of his works and posters of his films, as well as some personal documents and films production details.
The event features screening of the first 3 films, directed by Chahine: Baba Amin (Dady Amin), 1950; Ibn el-Nil (Son of the Nile), 1951; and Al-Muharreg Al-Kabeer (The Great Clown), 1952. Chahine directed his first film Baba Amin (Dady Amin), when he was only 24 years old. Based on fantasy, uncommon to Egyptian cinema at the time, the film depicts the life of a person after his death and features Faten Hamama, Hussein Riad, Kamal Elshenawy, Mary Mounib, Farid Shawky and Hind Roustom.
Youssef Chahine was born in Alexandria on 25 January 1926 and died on 27 July 2008. An Egyptian director with international acclaim, Chahine is famous for his controversial works, especially his quartet portraying his autobiography: Iskandariyyah Lih (Alexandria, Why?); Haddoutah Masriyyah (An Egyptian Story); Iskandariyyah Kaman we Kaman (Alexandria Again and Forever) and Iskandariyyah…New York (Alexandria…New York).