Few legendary Western filmmakers have been as prolific as Youssef Chahine, who spent his epic career directing movies that paint a vibrant, crystalline portrait of the Egyptian conscious. Few others can claim their films were banned by Anwar el-Sadat, either, or that they discovered Omar Sharif. Beginning in 1950 and until his death in July, Chahine displayed a stunning versatility with movies that ranged from film noir to documentaries to historical epics and even musical comedies. The Films of Youssef Chahine at the Harvard Film Archive (Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, 24 Quincy Street, Cambridge, 617.495.4700) offer a rich sampling of his repertoire. Alexandria, Why (Friday at 7 p.m.) is an autobiographical portrait of an artist as a young man during World War II; his breakout flick, Cairo Station (Saturday at 7 p.m.) is a frank look at sex in Arab culture; and The Sparrow (Saturday at 9:15 p.m.) indicts the political establishment as it examines Egypt’s defeat in the Six Day War. Start the year with a dramatic history lesson. Tickets are $8 ($6 for students). Visit hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/ for complete listings.
