In a remarkable tribute to one of the Arab world’s most influential filmmakers, the El Gouna Film Festival celebrated the centenary of Egyptian director Youssef Chahine with a special art exhibition titled “Cairo Station” — a nod to one of his most iconic films.

The exhibition opened on Friday, the second day of the festival, recreating the atmosphere of the original movie by transforming the venue into a train station setting similar to the one in “Cairo Station.” The immersive installation offered visitors a sensory and visual journey that evoked Chahine’s distinctive cinematic language and his enduring creative spirit.

Blending imagery, space, and memory, the exhibition invited audiences to revisit key moments in Chahine’s artistic career. Through the use of visual fragments and contemporary reinterpretations, it presented his legacy from a fresh perspective, reaffirming his lasting influence on Egyptian and Arab cinema.

The project was a collaboration between the festival’s Artistic Director Marianne Khoury and architect Shereen Farghal, designer of the exhibition and founder of JYStudios, with support from Misr International Films and the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, known for its commitment to cultural initiatives.

As part of the centennial celebration, the festival also screened Chahine’s “Alexandria Again and Forever,” one of his most personal and acclaimed films, alongside four works by Arab directors inspired by his rebellious spirit and artistic vision: “Nahla” (Algeria, 1979), “Young Arab Cinema” (Tunisia, 1987), “Halfaouine: Boy of the Terraces” (Tunisia, 1990), and “Adieu Forain” (Morocco, 1998).

A special panel titled “A Journey with the Master: From His Lens to Their Worlds” brought together filmmakers Yousry Nasrallah, Férid Boughedir, and Daoud Aoulad-Syad to discuss how Chahine’s mentorship shaped their artistic voices and helped redefine Arab cinema’s relationship with identity, introspection, and storytelling.

Through this exhibition and dialogue, the El Gouna Film Festival reaffirmed Youssef Chahine’s enduring presence as a visionary who reshaped cinematic language and left a timeless mark on global film culture.