For centuries, Egypt has been the birthplace of all things artistic, scientific, mathematical and architectural.
It was the country where scholars from all over the world travelled to, to study, gain knowledge and insight and explore various subjects. Home of the pharaohs, pyramids, temples and statues, it was also the birthplace of one of the continent’s most prolific film-makers, Youssef Chahine.
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, on 25 January 1926, tomorrow the world and Africa celebrates the 94th anniversary of the film-maker’s birthday with screenings of his work across the continent.
Chahine’s career spanned over five decades, from 1950 until his death in 2008, and it was a career which saw him win the lifetime achievement award at the Cannes 50th Anniversary.
However, the director’s career path was no mistake as he once revealed that his love for film started when he was an eight-year-old.
“At the age of eight, I discovered that 9,5mm films and projectors were being sold in stores. I saved from allowances enough to buy the projector and then became a regular for the Rabbani Bibi films. I used to gather the children of the neighborhood to show them these films. Some of them didn’t care for cinema and would come up with excuses not to attend. So I had no choice but to form a gang to beat up those who were late coming to the show.”
Chahine’s films include: ‘Cairo Station’ (1958), ‘Jamila, The Algerian’ (1958), ‘Saladin, The Victorious’ (1963), ‘The Choice’ (1970), ‘The Sparrow’ (1972), ‘Alexandria, Why?’ (1978), ‘An Egyptian Story’ (1982) with one of his widest audiences coming with 2002’s ’11’9”01 September 11′, a project on which he was co-director.
The pioneer’s films ‘The Land’, ‘The Chaos’, and ‘Alexandria, Why’, and the documentary’Hamlet of Alexandria’ will be screened today and tomorrow at the Namibia Arts Association Trust in Macadam Street from 16h00.
‘The Land’ follows the story of a group of struggling peasant farmers in the 1930s who have to protect their fields and livelihood against a landlord interested only in self-enrichment.
One of the screenings that might be of interest is ‘Alexandria, Why’ as this film explores themes of sexuality that are not often discussed in Africa, especially in Egypt at the time the film was produced.
It follows the lives of two young men, one Egyptian, the other European, who fall in love during World War II. Gay and bisexual undertones were often nuanced in the director’s work.
Film enthusiast and Federation of African Film Critics member Hans-Christian Mahnke wrote on africavenir.org that he’d been a judge at the 35th Cairo International Film Festival during a time of civil unrest and political tension in Egypt. A climate which reminded him of one of Chahine’s films, ‘Destiny’.
“Not only is it a great film, and not only did it win Chahine the 1997 Cannes’ 50th Anniversary Palme d’Or, it is today more relevant than ever for Egyptian society and the Arab world at large.”
A film-maker who has shaped the way the world views African cinema, Chahine is certainly a storyteller that should be revered for his timeless work and fearlessness in dealing with topics that make the conservative world shake in their boots.
– With additional information from africavenir.org
– @jonathan_sasha on Twitter; @jonathan.sasha on Instagram
