Youssef Chahine in Paris; Claude Lelouch Did Not Go to Cairo

A retrospective of the films of the late Egyptian director Youssef Chahine at the Cinémathèque in Paris has received a warm welcome from cinema enthusiasts in the French capital. The Lebanese-Saudi newspaper Al-Hayat reported that the doors of the Cinémathèque will remain open for six months to view a collection of Youssef Chahine's films. The retrospective began on November 14 with the presence of a group of critics, producers, and actors from Egyptian and French cinema. Simultaneously, an exhibition of Youssef Chahine's manuscripts, including some of his screenplays and the tools used in his films, is being held at the Cinémathèque. In several lectures, cinema experts will discuss various aspects of Chahine's films, including their music. Youssef Chahine, with over 40 feature and short films, has been praised by many international festivals, including Cannes and Berlin. His films such as "Bab El Hadid" (the name of Cairo's railway square), "Al-Ard", "Love Until Eternity", "People and the Nile", "The Sparrow", and "Dust of Gold" are considered famous in Egyptian cinema. Chahine made several films in collaboration with French producers, the most famous being "Goodbye Bonaparte". This renowned Egyptian director, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 82, was an opponent of some policies of Gamal Abdel Nasser and Hosni Mubarak, former presidents of Egypt, as well as a critic of extremist Islamic groups in Egypt. Concurrently with the commemoration of Youssef Chahine in Paris, Al-Hayat reported that renowned French director Claude Lelouch declined to travel to participate in the Cairo Film Festival. According to Al-Hayat, Lelouch had previously accepted the invitation from the Cairo Festival to attend the tribute to him at the festival, but increased criticisms in some Cairo media led him to cancel his acceptance. Some Cairo media and cultural figures criticized the festival organizers for inviting Lelouch, sharing photos of him during his travels to Israel and his honorary doctorate from Ben Gurion University in Israel, as well as what has been described as his encouragement of Russian Jews to immigrate to Israel. In messages from some cultural and artistic figures in Egypt shared on social media, it was suggested that instead of Lelouch, who has allegedly supported the Israeli government for about 50 years and raised funds for Jewish settlers in Palestinian territories, figures like Dustin Hoffman or Jean-Luc Godard, who have always supported Palestinian rights, could have been invited. The 40th International Cinema Festival in Cairo began on November 20 and will conclude on November 29.