Arab Film Club: Alexandria… Why? [In-Person Only]

Alexandria during World War II. Yehia, a young man in his final year of school who loves movies and music, dreams of making it to Hollywood. But like most of Egypt’s middle class, the war has left his parents in a tight financial situation. Through Yehia’s endeavors, his Christian family and his diverse group of friends, we are exposed to different segments of Alexandrian society: from Egyptian and British soldiers, communist workers and patriotic aristocrats to social climbers and war profiteers. A rich, dynamic portrait of the director’s beloved city during a seminal moment in its long and layered history.

An Egyptian classic, Alexandria…Why? won the Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize at the 29th Berlin International Film Festival in 1979.

About Youssef Chahine:

Born in Alexandria in 1926 to a middle-class family of Greek and Lebanese origin, Chahine came into the world between the wars in the heart of the region’s most cosmopolitan city. From an early age he developed a passion for theater, cinema, and Shakespeare. After spending a year at the University of Alexandria, he decided to study acting at California’s Pasadena Playhouse, only to quickly turn to directing. Chahine’s reputation as an international auteur was established early on; his sophomore effort Son of the Nile (Ibn el Nil, 1951) was nominated for Cannes’ Grand Prix of the Festival in 1952.

– Bio by Joseph Fahim