Youssef Chahine (Arabic: يوسف شاهين‎) (January 25, 1926 in Alexandria, Egypt –July 27, 2008 in Cairo, Egypt) was an Egyptianfilm director active in the Egyptian film industry since 1950 . He was credited with launching the career of actor Omar Sharif . A critically acclaimed director frequently seen in film festivals during decades, Chahine also had his reach to wider international filmgoers' audiences as one of the co-directors of 11'9"01 September 11 . Fascinated by the performing arts from an early age, young Chahine began to create shows at home for his family . Chahine began his education at a Frères' school Collège Saint Marc . Growing up, he attended Alexandria's elite Victoria College. In 1946, Chahine convinced his parents to let him travel to Hollywood to study acting, where he attended the Pasadena Playhouse outside of Los Angeles, California. After returning to Egypt, he turned his attention to directing. Cinematographer Alvise Orfanelli helped Chahine into the film business. Chahine directed his first feature film in 1950, Baba Amin (Daddy Amin) at the age of 23, two years before the revolution of 1952 that saw the overthrow of the monarchy and the rise of the charismatic leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. One year later, with Nile Boy (1951) he was first invited to the Cannes Film Festival. Sira’ fi-l-Wadi (The Blazing Sun, 1954) introduced Omar Sharif to the cinematic screen. In 1970 he was awarded a Golden Tanit at the Carthage Film Festival for al-Ikhtiyar (The Choice). With The Sparrow (1973), in which he showed his political opinions after the Six Day War with Israel, he directed the first Egypt-Algeria co-production. About his work, Chahine has said, "I make my films first for myself. Then for my family. Then for Alexandria. Then for Egypt," Chahine once famously said. "If the Arab world likes them, ahlan wa sahlan (welcome). If the foreign audience likes them, they are doubly welcome." .