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He was once described as "who lives to lay out shots, to cut film, to huddle with actors.... Rare is the shot that doesn”t contain a distinct idea--an angle that illuminates a relationship, a gesture that opens a character, a camera movement that is complete and beautiful in itself.... Even the least of his films gives off a sense of physical pleasure and sensual engagement, like eating a wonderful meal or touching a fine piece of fabric." David Kehr, Film Comment Magazine.

Youssef Chahine, the distinguished Egyptian director made his first film Baba Amin in 1950. At the age of 24, Chahine was able to shape his cinema; he was not confined by the limited perception of Egyptian public. For Chahine, his films were not simply a means of entertainment but a way to educate, inform and push the cultural boundaries.

Born in 1926 in Alexandria, Egypt to a Syrian lawyer. Gabriel Youssef Chahine was educated at the prestigious Victoria College in Alexandria. He then moved to Pasadena, California to train for method acting at the Pasadena Playhouse. In 1948, Chahine came back to Egypt and embarked on long prosperous career where he explored all movie genres, defined and fine-tuned the unique style he is known for. Rural dramas, musicals, film noir, political thrillers, comedies and costume pictures, you name it, Yousef Chahine has worked on it.

In the 1958 Cairo Station ( Bab Al –Hadid), Chahine himself played the lead character, a simple minded, sexually frustrated, Kenaoui. The film explored the perception of sexuality and violence in Egyptian society. The audiences and critics of the time did not see the value of this movie. But the film gained importance with time and became a classic of the Egyptian screen.

In 1963, Youssef worked on the epic El Nasser Salahadin. The historical movie that looks at the 12th century Sultan and draws many parallels between him and then President Gamal Abdel Nasser was a great success. The movie was the beginning of long movie collaboration with Naguib Mahfouz. In 1970, the two worked on a The Choice, a murder investigation involving two twins that cleverly explores schizophrenia.

In autobiographical movies such as Alexandria Why? and An Egyptian Story, Chahine’s technique of self –examination and realization is unique. The films offer an appealing look on life’s regrets and experiences. They force people to confront their problems and examine their lives.

It is Chahine’s complex yet sophisticated style that make him a favourite among Arabs and European alike. In 1997, Youssef chahine won the 50th Anniversary Lifetime Achievement Award at the Cannes Festival. He has gained more international recognition and became an inspiration to a generation of younger filmmakers. Chahine knows how to tell a story.