The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) has just announced that director Yousry Nasrallah will receive the Golden Pyramid of Honor for his entire career during the 45th edition, scheduled for November 15 to 24, 2023, in recognition of what he presented throughout his fabulous artistic career.
Regarding this honor granted to Yousry Nasrallah, The president of CIFF, actor Hussein Fahmy, said: ” I am really delighted that the Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah participates in this edition. I appreciate this honor. He is a unique director and his works are unforgettable. These works are so important in the history of Egyptian cinema. He is a precious friend and a colleague. “He added:” I have known Yousry for a long time. I met him when I worked with the director Youssef Chahine. At the time, Yousry worked as an assistant director. In addition, I worked with Youssef Chahine as an assistant director at certain periods. So we belong to the same school. Our ideas are very close. This is why my happiness is indescribable. I am also delighted that he accepts to be honored at CIFF. »»
CIFF director, Amir Ramsesunderlined that the festival is proud to honor the director Yousry Nasrallah with the Pyramid Prix d’Or of Honor, declaring: ” Yousry Nasrallah is one of the most important Egyptian directors who presented fabulous cinematographic works having experienced international success. In addition, it is one of the creative directors whose films use a special cinematographic language. He used the codes of Egyptian cinema in a daring way, which influenced a large number of young directors. Personally, I am proud to honor professor and friend Yousry Nasrallah. He contributed to the development of my cinematographic character, as are many people of my generation. »»
On the occasion of this tribute, Yousry Nasrallah said: ” I am happy to receive the Ciff gold pyramid. During these moments, I remember many details of my life. I remember my beginnings, as well as my current position. I did not do it alone. Many Egyptian friends and filmmakers have helped me a lot. They supported me and worked with me. They helped me reach my current position. I want to thank them very much. They deserve to be honored“.
Yousry Nasrallah began his artistic career in 1982 as an assistant to the late director Youssef Chahine. His collaboration with Chahine led him to work on renowned films such as Memory (1982) and Farewell Bonaparte (1985), where he rubbed shoulders with renowned actors such as Michel Piccoli, Patrice Chéreau and Mohsen Mohey El-Din. He also played an essential role as a co-author of the film script Farewell Bonaparte.
Building on this enriching experience, Nasrallah has embarked with passion in a career as a director of author’s cinema. In 1988, he directed his first film, Summer flightswhich was selected for the opening of the fifteen directors at the Cannes Film Festival. This feature film marked the start of a series of participations in prestigious international festivals, propelling Nasrallah on the world cinematographic scene and allowing it to win numerous prizes.
Subsequently, Nasrallah returned to work alongside Youssef Chahine as an executive director for the film Alexandria again and again In 1990, of which he also co-wrote the scenario. This film is considered the third part of Chahine’s cinematographic autobiography, following Alexandria… why? And Memory. In Alexandria again and againNasrallah adopted a style of realization similar to that of Chahine, while the latter played the main role of the film.
Thus, Yousry Nasrallah has imposed its distinct artistic brand while retaining a close relationship with its mentor, Chahine, and continued to contribute significantly to Egyptian and international cinema.
In 1993, Nasrallah wrote and directed her second film Mercedeswhich received the silver prize from the Khouribga African Film Festival, in Morocco, in 1994, and the Prize for the best film of the Société du Vingtième Film in 1994. In addition, Youssra received the Prize for the best actress at the Ouagadougou festival, in Burkina Faso, in 1995, for the role she played in the film.
In 1995, Yousry Nasrallah presented the documentary About boys, girls and the veilwritten and produced by himself, with Bassem Samra in the main role. The film tells the story of Bassem, which worked as a teacher in a technical school at the time and took his first steps in the world of cinema with the director Yousry Nasrallah. The film highlights his friends and family.
In 2000, Yousry produced one of his most successful works, The citywhich is distinguished by his collaboration with other screenwriters. Three authors contributed to the film: Nasser Abdulrahman, the seasoned French director Claire Denis and Yousry Nasrallah himself. This film is part of the digital cinema movement in Egypt, which required a meticulous conversion of the digital band in film format. It has been screened in many festivals, including those of Chicago, Toronto and Carthage, and won the jury prize at the Locarno festival.
Thereafter, Yousry Nasrallah made her magnificent film The sun door (2004) in two parts, entitled The departure And The return. Based on a novel by the Lebanese writer Elias Khoury, the script was co-written by Yousry in collaboration with Elias Khoury himself and with Lebanese director Mohammed Sewid. The two parts of the film were screened in preview at the Cannes Film Festival, outside competition. The reception of the film was extremely positive with cinematographic criticism in France and in Europe.
The two parts of the film were screened simultaneously in the cinemas. The film was included in the list of the ten best films screened in 2004 according to the Time Magazine. He ranked 42nd among the 100 best films in Arab cinema, according to a survey carried out by film critics during the tenth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival in 2013.
Recently, the Locarno International Film Festival announced the restoration of the film The sun door which will be projected in 4K quality as part of the festival’s official program, which will be held from August 2 to 12, 2023, 19 years after its first broadcast.
At the same time, in 2004, Yousry Nasrallah was appointed knight of the Order of Arts by the Mayor of Paris. It is one of the highest French distinctions, which only Youssef Chahine had previously received.
In 2008, his film The aquarium was selected in the prestigious Panorama section of the Berlin Festival, which is considered the second most important section after the official competition. This is the only Arab film to have participated in the 58th edition of this festival. The aquarium aroused the attention of criticism and was hailed by three articles in Variety Magazine, the first film magazine in the world.
In 2009, Yousry Nasrallah collaborated with the famous actress Mona Zaki, who played the main role in Women in Cairo. This film was selected at several festivals, including the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Lina Mangiacapre Prize. He was also presented at the Alexandria International Film Festival, where he won three interpretation awards: Mona Zaki won the Best actress Prize, Mohamad Ramadan that of the best actor in a supporting role, and Rehab El Gamal that of the best actress in a supporting role.
In 2012, he then presented the controversial film After the battlein which he tried to represent a famous media battle: “The Battle of the camel” which had taken place during the Egyptian revolution in early 2011. This film was in the running for the official competition during the 65th edition of the Cannes Festival. He was also selected in competition at the Carthage Cinematographic Days, as well as at other festivals.
His latest film is The stream, the green meadow and the sweet facescreened in 2016. His first took place as part of the official competition of the 69th edition of the Locarno International Film Festival. This is the fourth participation of director Yousry Nasrallah in the festival, after having presented his films: The city (1999), Mercedes (1993) and About boys, girls and the veil (1995).
Yousry Nasrallah is the first Egyptian filmmaker to chair the short film jury at the Cannes Festivalthe most popular festival in the world. He managed to create a remarkable artistic career with only 13 films.
Yousry Nasrallah studied political and economic science in Cairo, then cinema at the Higher Institute of Cinema. Subsequently, he went to Beirut to work as a film critic in the newspaper Assafir For four years, during the Lebanese civil war. In addition, he worked as an assistant director in Beirut with the German director Volker Schlöndorff on The counterfeiter. He also worked with the Syrian director Omar Amiralay on the documentary Masa’ib qawm. Finally, he returned to Egypt to start his cinematographic career in 1982.
The Cairo Film International Film Festival is one of the oldest and regular festivals in the Arab world and Africa. He has the privilege of being the only festival in the Arab and African region registered in category A of the International Federation of Film producers in Paris (FIAPF).
Neïla Driss According to press release
