I checked out Youssef Chahine’s 1958 Cairo Station as part of Filmspotting’s African Cinema Marathon. [Link to the movie on youtube here].

“In this beautiful classic film, Cairo’s main railroad station is used to represent all of Egyptian society. Youssef Chahine received international recognition when this masterpiece of sexuality and repression among society’s marginalized.”

This was a strange early movie that also felt ahead of its time. Here are some tidbits from my post-movie What The Heck Did I Just Watch diligence session:

• Director Youssef Chahine also played main character, Qinawi
• Chahine on his early years via Wikipedia: “”At the age of Eight, I discovered that 9.5mm films and projectors were being sold in stores. I saved from allowances enough to buy the projector and then became a regular for the Rabbani Bibi films. I used to gather the children of the neighborhood to show them these films. Some of them didn’t care for cinema and would come up with excuses not to attend. So I had no choice but to form a gang to beat up those who were late coming to the show.“
• The movie debuted in 1958 only 6 years after overthrow of Egyptian monarchy
• Egyptian film industry was nationalized only 8 years later in 1966
• Themes such as urban working class, gender-based violence and sexual repression were notable given year
• Associated with Italian neorealism and film noir
• “Pressure cooker” describes film well
• “The fact that Youssef Chahine, who both directed the film and stars in it, was initially trained as a painter before turning to filmmaking comes as no surprise” – another review
• Another good short review: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/jun/14/culture.peterbradshaw3
• Fun scene on youtube of Train Song: Mike & his Skyrockets (Funner footnote: “Mike Beshara was a student of rocket physics, which provided impetus for a local turn on Bill Haley and the Comets.”)