In Memoriam : Youssef Chahine (1926-2008)

It was with great sadness that the American University of Beirut reported the death of renowned film director Youssef Chahine in his Cairo home on July 27, 2008.

Youssef Chahine had received an AUB honorary degree in June 2007, along with poet Adonis and historian André Raymond, but had not been able to attend the ceremony due to his failing health and had sent his acceptance speech on DVD.

The doctoral hood was placed symbolically on a camera during the ceremony to honor the art to which Youssef Chahine had devoted his life.

Youssef Chahine had always considered Lebanon and AUB a haven for free thought and expression, and believed that Egypt and Lebanon always had a symbiotic relationship in the arts. The Lebanese took their creative talents to the land of the Nile and there distinguished themselves in the arts, music, literature, and movie-making. Long may this tradition of cultural exchange continue to persist in memory of Youssef Chahine.