The Arab National Project in Youssef Chahine’s Cinema

by Malek Khouri

In a major addition to the academic library on the cinema of Youssef Chahine and on Arab and Egyptian cinema in general, Malek Khouri here presents the most comprehensive and up-to-date study on Chahine’s work to appear since his death in 2008. The methodological approach of the book, and more precisely the discussion of the theme of Arab national unity from a post-colonial point of view, emphasizes the ideological underpinnings of this Egyptian director’s themes as well as his esthetics. The author focuses on the interaction between Chahine’s personal and political preoccupations, his eclectic cinematic style, and his devotion to connecting with a wide audience of filmgoers. The Arab National Project in Youssef Chahine’s Cinema is an important contribution to original scholarship in the fields of cultural studies, sociology of film, and history of cinema, and will be of great interest to scholars, students, and cinema lovers all over the world.

308 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2010

Reviews

[Hussein R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Malek Khouri’s “The Arab National Project in Youssef Chahine’s Cinema” is a well written book that not only traces the so-called Arab national project in the great director’s body of work, but also serves as a tribute to Chahine and his cinema all together.

Unfortunately the book is too much on the academic side, with too much jargon and over complication sometimes just for the sake of it. It also includes a number of errors on some relevant dates and major plot lines in some of Chahine’s films, making me wonder if the author had actually seen these films again while writing the book. The author not being Egyptian also does not help, in terms of understanding the nuances that all Chahine films are riddled with.

All in all, and despite its shortcomings, the book is a worthy addition to the scarce literature on the topic, and would certainly contribute to a better understanding of the Chahine universe.