100 years of Youssef Chahine
from
15 April 2026
UNTIL
16 May 2026
Marking 100 years since the birth of Youssef Chahine, curators Yasmine Zohdi and Ahmed Refaat present a multi-part retrospective celebrating his extraordinary body of work.
The first installment, running from April 15 through May, focuses on Chahine’s early films, from his feature debut Baba Amin (1950) to his enduring masterpiece Cairo Station (1958).
The films are paired with select works by filmmakers from various countries and cinematic traditions, placing Chahine’s cinema within a global context and a broader political and cultural landscape, and exploring how his work engaged with the defining questions of its time.
In addition to the screenings at Zawya, a selection of films will also be presented at the French Institute and the Italian Cultural Institute in Cairo.
Parallel to the program, a curated selection of items form Chahine’s archive will be displayed in Zawya, offering a rare look at the late master's creative process.
Follow our pages in the coming days for more information on the program.
PROGRAM FILMS
SERAA FIL WADI / THE BLAZING SUN
In pre-1952 Luxor, Ahmed—a freshly graduated agricultural engineer—uses his newfound knowledge to he...
BABA AMIN / DADDY AMIN
In this heart-warming dramedy, Amin, a beloved husband and father of two, is lured by a friend into ...
Only Women / Nisaa Bila Rigal
Young, idealistic Gamal rebels against his father, a corrupt landlord and politician. He moves to th...
Nile Boy / Ibn El Nil
Ever since he was a child, Hemeida has dreamed of leaving the rural village where he lives with his ...
It's a Wonderful Life
George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents ric...
SAYEDET EL KITAR/ LADY ON A TRAIN
The one thing that enables famous singer Fikriya to tolerate life with her husband, Farid—a gambli...
SERAA FIL MINA / DARK WATERS
Ragab returns to Alexandria after three years at sea, longing to see his cousin, Hamedah, whom he lo...
ENTA HABIBI / MY ONE AND ONLY LOVE
Yasmina can’t stand her cousin Farid, and neither can he. Yet their parents insist that they are to ...
BAB EL HADID/CAIRO STATION
Tensions run high on a hot day in Cairo Station, where Qinawi, a newsvendor with a lame leg, pursues...
WADAAT HOBBAK / FAREWELL MY LOVE
Ahmed, a terminally ill naval officer who doesn’t know he’s dying, is transferred to a military hosp...
Rocco and His Brothers
SCEENED AT THE ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE IN CAIRO Having recently been uprooted to Milan, Rocco ...
All That Heaven Allows
Two different social classes collide when Cary Scott, a wealthy upper-class widow, falls in love wit...
TWO ACRES OF LAND
Do Bigha Zamin is the dramatic tale of a farmer’s struggle to save his land from the clutches of a r...
Los olvidados
A group of juvenile delinquents live a violent life in the infamous slums of Mexico City; among them...
The Red Shoes
Young ballerina Victoria Page is divided between her love for the "Red Shoes" composer, Julian Crast...
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
In the City of Light, a struggling painter attracts the attention of a wealthy heiress. As he fends ...
Zéro de conduite
SCREENED AT THE FRENCH INSTITUTE IN CAIRO In a repressive boarding school with rigid rules of beh...
Remorques
SCREENED AT THE FRENCH INSTITUTE IN CAIRO The captain of the tugboat Cyclone, André Laurent, rush...
Les Enfants du paradis
SCREENED AT THE FRENCH INSTITUTE IN CAIRO In a chaotic 19th-century Paris teeming with aristocrat...
The Earrings of Madame De...
SCREENED AT THE FRENCH INSTITUTE IN CAIRO In late 19th century France, the Countess Louise, wife ...