Alexandria... Why? (Iskanderija… Lih? )
Dir: Youssef Chahine
Egypt , 1979, Arabic, 133mins, DCP
Cast: Naglaa Fathi, Farid Shawqi, Ezzat el-Alaili
The first chapter in what would eventually become a quartet of thinly-veiled autobiographical works, this most loved of Chahine’s film follows the travails of Yehia, a young man growing up in 1940s Egypt amidst the impact of World War II, community tensions, and a growing anti-colonialist fervour. Yahia does his best to navigate these currents, escaping occasionally into his fantasies of performing in Shakespeare and Hollywood musicals. A bold, daring work that offers a vision of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural Egypt – symbolised by the director’s native Alexandria – that would soon be only a memory.
Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Bear Special Jury Prize
8/3(Sun): Film talk with Derek Lam
Screening:
In-theatre Screening
Of Land and Men - The Social Cinema of Youssef Chahine
2026-02-07 (Sat)
19:302026-03-08 (Sun)
13:30
Post-screening talk
