Youssef Chahine

Youssef Chahine’s Cairo

September 12, 2011

by Sophia Azeb

The late, great Egyptian director Youssef Chahine shot this drama/documentary/biography on Cairo for television in 1991. As brilliant and beautiful a depiction of the city as any, Chahine infused the story with his usual political narratives–power, wealth, poverty, racial diversity, corruption and love. It is truly the most fantastic portrayal of Cairo ever produced.

Chahine was also well known for his sense of dark humour. Enjoy, in the first part of the film*, his brainstorming with other filmmakers on what the French must want from a documentary on Cairo.