Youssef Chahine, who received a lifetime achievement award at Cannes, made dozens of films mostly unseen in the United States.
His work bubbles with sly critiques of colonialism and government corruption, Muslim/Jewish love affairs, exuberant musical numbers, and positive gay relationships (this, when the subject was still largely taboo for Western filmmakers).
His sparkling cosmopolitanism, wicked intellect and largeness of spirit are reflected in his work, as is a steadfast commitment to tolerance that some Hollywood filmmakers could stand to study.
Check out his Destiny, a rollicking biopic about the 12th century philosopher Averroes. (I'm not kidding.) Chahine's motto for that film was, "Ideas have wings." May Youssef Chahine's long continue to soar.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDM3NjYwMjA5MDE1MjA1MzQ1NDk1N2ZmZQ004))
