Youssef Chahine

Originally uploaded by festivals gallery

I first came across one of his movies/heard of him when I was home, back in Perth a few years, lounging around in my living room featured on SBS (http://www.sbs.com.au/ ).

This channel normally showcase International films every night from all over the world (which started my obsession with foreign films and cultures. Having a festival like this http://www.perthfestival.com.au/ only made it grow) and Chahine’s “Sokoot Hansawwar” (Silence, We’re Rolling) just happened to be one of them.

Another I saw in Perth was “11′09”01 - September 11″ (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0328802/). Very popular for anti-war supporters at this time.

This guy’s a legend, icon, household name in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East and he’s not even Muslim, not that it matters if you’re such an exceptional director/artist who raised many confronting issues about the Egyptian society as well as life overall.

He past away last week. You could read more info about him here:

weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/908/cu2.htm
www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/movies/28chahine.html
www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1827723,00.html?xid=rss-arts
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7527562.stm

www.youssefchahine.us
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youssef_Chahine

I watched the funeral procession a few nights ago. Both Muslims and Christians were there.

You will be sadly missed Youssef.