January 25 - Youssef Chahine

Happy Birthday, Youssef Chahine! Born today in 1926, this Egyptian actor, writer, producer and film director was active in the Egyptian film industry from 1950 until his death. 

Chahine is best known for directing and starring in the 1958 Egyptian black and white drama/crime film 'Bāb al-Ḥadīd'('Cairo Station', also called 'The Iron Gate').

The film follows a newspaper salesman at the train station in Cairo. Chahine plays a lame young man named Qinawi. 

The salesman gives Qinawi a job selling newspapers in the Cairo train station. However, the women there all shun him because of his mild handicap, though he has little trouble walking. 

Later on, Qinawi develops an unhealthy obsession with a beautiful cold drink vendor named Hanuma (Hind Rustum). However, she is engaged to husky luggage porter Abu Siri (Farid Shawqi), who is trying to organize his co-workers into a union to better their lot.  

Nonetheless, Qinawi proposes to her. When she rejects his fantasy of a home and children in his village, Qinawi's obsession turns to madness. 

Later that same year, 'Cairo Station' was entered into the 8th Berlin International Film Festival between late June and early July 1958, 

The film was selected as the Egyptian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 31st Academy Awards in early April 1959. However, it was not accepted as a nominee.

A winner of the 50th Cannes Film Festival Anniversary Award in May 1997, Chahine was credited with launching the career of Egyptian film and television actor Omar Sharif. 

On January 25, 2015, a Google Doodle was created in what would have been Chahine's 89th birthday.  

Chahine had been active from 1950–2007. 

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