The Many Lives of Youssef Chahine

Youssef Chahine is perhaps one of the most prolific, singular and critically acclaimed auteurs of the Arab World. A true visionary, Chahine built cinematic worlds that were distinctively his, ones that shapeshifted in line with the changes in his political convictions, formalist impulses, and personal preoccupations. Ahead of the centennial of his birth in 2026, this series, guest curated by the Cairo-based arthouse cinema Zawya, presents the New York premieres of nine recently restored major landmarks in Chahine’s career, which spanned over 50 years.

“An anti-imperialist throughout his life, Chahine remained committed to decolonization and the collective right to self-determination. What changed however, was how he imagined the way to get there. Films like Saladin and The Land show a particular dedication to the promise of the Pan-Arab Socialist project led by Gamal Abdel Nasser, while a film like The Return of the Prodigal Son chronicles the disillusionment and the defeat that followed. The politics of/in Chahine’s films never undermined his chronic playfulness or his desire to continuously reinvent his craft, swinging between different registers and constantly experimenting with the potential of the medium and of his own voice. From the autobiographical films that birthed his cinematic alter ego, Yehia, through to his masterpiece Cairo Station, his first lead role, to one of his lesser seen and more underrated works, Dawn of a New Day, the films presented in this program capture the many lives, minds and whims of Chahine, both on and off screen.” —Alia Ayman, series curator, co-founder of Zawya

In collaboration with Janus Films and Zawya Cinema