Cairo Station - The Criterion Collection (US Edition)

Directed by Youssef Chahine, Cairo Station is a landmark in Middle Eastern cinema, blending social realism with psychological melodrama. The film takes place in and around Cairo’s bustling main railway station, where workers, vendors, and travelers intersect in a microcosm of Egyptian society.

The story centers on Qinawi (played by Chahine himself), a disabled, marginalized newspaper vendor who becomes obsessively infatuated with Hanouma (Hind Rostom), a spirited drinks seller engaged to a union activist. As his advances are rejected, Qinawi’s infatuation spirals into dangerous obsession, culminating in a shocking act of violence.

Bab el Hadid was controversial on release for its frank treatment of sexuality, violence, and class conflict, but over time it gained recognition as a bold, modernist classic. Mixing Italian neorealist influence with noir intensity, Chahine crafted a film that was both a critique of social marginalization and a gripping psychological thriller. Today, it stands as one of the most important works of Egyptian cinema and a milestone in world film history.

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