Comments on: Youssef Chahine (1926-2008)

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:06:45 +0000

Just found this wonderful page while doing online research for “Cairo Station.” We’ll be releasing the 1958 Chahine classic on DVD in the first half of 2009, but in the meantime we’re bringing a Chahine Film Retrospective to cinemas and museums throughout North America. more info at typecastfilms.com

best,
Alex O. Williams
Typecast Releasing – Seattle, WA . USA

By: martin stollery

martin stollery — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:08:48 +0000

Dave, I’ve enjoyed your past writing on Chahine. Let’s hope one small consolation for his passing is more distributors and critics promoting his work so more people in Europe and America can actually see it.

By: Stephen Bowie

Stephen Bowie — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:38:30 +0000

Hopefully this will prod one of our more innovative programmers (Kent?) to begin work on a memorial retrospective, as we’ve had recently with Robbe-Grillet (in Brooklyn) and Edward Yang (in Toronto, and when is that coming to the US?!). And at the risk of sounding morbid, could somebody go ahead and start work on the posthumous retro for the now 98 year-old Kaneto Shindo? Seems like a safe bet. Tks!

I just watched Barbet Schroeder’s “Terror’s Advocate,” and on doing some reading about its subjects, realized that Chahine made a film (in 1958) about Djamila Bouhired, the beautiful terrorist who’s a major figure in Schroeder’s film and “The Battle of Algiers.” I’d love to see that.

By: jwarthen

jwarthen — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:44:19 +0000

If only a half-dozen of Chahine’s films can be seen on DVD here, one of them is 1997′s DESTINY, which turned up at my rental-shop a year after its NYFF showing. A period political drama with epic superstructure, it also manages to be delightful, with piquant characters and a compelling expansive warmth. Just checked– NetFlix doesn’t offer it– but it’s out there and worth a long search.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:03:46 +0000

Actually, Blake, I believe that Cachine’s “Bab el hadid” is known as both “Cairo Station” and “Central Station” in the states. It’s also been referred to as “Cairo: Central Station.” “Central Station,” of course, is also the English title of the 1998 Walter Salles film with Fernanda Montenegro and Marília Pêra. A meaningful loss.

By: Blake Lucas

Blake Lucas — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:13:43 +0000

Isn’t that film called “Cairo Station?” I was just reading about something about it and wishing I could see it, because I never have. It’s a shame it’s not on DVD. A Chahine retro would be
most welcome here in L.A.

Dave, you were quoted most admiringly on Chahine in L.A. Times obituary and I expected to open your blog today and see his picture along with some comments from you…