On the occasion of late veteran filmmaker Youssef Chahine’s birthday, Zawya is scheduled to screen two of the late filmmaker’s chef d’oeuvres, Bab Al-Hadid (Cairo Station-1958) and Awdet Al-Ibn Al-Dal (The Return of the Prodigal Son-1976) at Alexandria's Cinema Amir on 16 and 23 January respectively.

Cairo Station is considered one of Chahine's most famous films. It also stars Chahine as a disabled homeless man selling newspapers in the train station. He is trapped in a love triangle with Hanouma (Hind Rustom) who sells sodas in the station and Abu Sri’ (Farid Shawky) who is trying to start a movement with the station workers against their tyrant boss.

Cairo Station was Egypt's official submission to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Films. It was also nominated for the Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear award in 1958.

As for The Return of the Prodigal Son, the film was an adaptation of a novel by French author Andre Gide. It centres on the Madbouli family. When the son Ali Madbouli comes back home after a decade spent in prison, the family is shocked to find that he’s grown into a completely different person. The film stars Shoukry Sarhan, Said Ali Quwerat, Ali El-Sherif, Hoda Sultan, Mahmoud El-Meligy, Magda El-Roumi, among others. 

Programme:
Saturday 16 January, 6pm
Cairo Station

Saturday 23 January, 6pm
The Return of the Prodigal Son

Cinema Amir, Corner of Fouad Street & Safeya Zaghloul Street, Raml Station, Alexandria

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