Cairo Station (1958)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- The lustful fantasies of crippled Qinawi a newsstand vendor in a Cairo train depot morph into a dangerous fixation with a seductive but scheming lemonade seller just as a serial killer begins terrorizing the city in this Egyptian thriller. Also directed by Chahine, the film met with a chorus of condemnation upon its 1958 release but is now considered a masterwork by many cinephiles and critics.
- Actors:
- Farid Shawqi, Hind Rostom, Youssef Chahine, Hassan el Baroudi, Abdel Aziz Khalil, Naima Wasfy, Said Khalil, Abdel Ghani Nagdi, Loutfi El Hakim, Abdel Hamid Bodaoha, F. El Demerdache, Said El Araby, Ahmed Abaza, Hana Abdel Fattah, Safia Sarwat
- Directors:
- Youssef Chahine
- Writers:
- Mohamed Abu Youssef, Abdel Hai Adib
- Aka:
- Bab el hadid
- Genres:
- Classics, Comedy, Drama
- Countries:
- Egypt
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Reviews (1) of Cairo Station
A Cry from Cairo - Cairo Station review by griggs
Don’t be fooled by the brisk pace or confined setting—Cairo Station is no minor platform drama. It’s a masterstroke of tension and compassion, blending Italian neo-realism with Hitchcokian suspense, all unfolding in the noise and heat of Cairo’s railway hub. Youssef Chahine, in a move both humble and audacious, directs and stars as Kenawi, a physically disabled newspaper vendor whose yearning for love curdles into obsession.
Every frame hums with life. The location shooting and mobile camerawork lend it a raw immediacy—closer to spirit to Bicycle Thieves than any studio-bound melodrama. But it’s Chahine’s psychological acuity that makes this a classic. Kenawi is no villain, nor a hero—he’s a disturbingly human product of isolation, repression, and toxic masculinity. That a film from 1958 can speak so clearly to issues still playing out today is nothing short of remarkable.
Cairo Station doesn’t just hold up—it reaches forward. Daring, empathetic, and ahead of its time, it reminds us what cinema can do when it isn’t afraid to look unflinchingly at the human condition.