Alexandria… Why?
إسكندرية ليه؟
Synopsis
Amid the poverty, death, and suffering caused by World War II, 18-year-old Yehia retreats into a private world of fantasy and longing. Obsessed with Hollywood, he dreams of studying filmmaking in America but struggles to pursue his dream, given the constraints of his life in the middle class and the horrors of war.
Part of the Alexandria Quad
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Top Cast
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Mohsen Mohey ElDein
Yehia
Mahmood Al-Meleji
Shukri Murad, Yehia's Father
Mohsena Tawfiq
Yehia's Mother
Abdullah Mahmoud
Mohsen
Ahmed Zaki
Ibrahim
Naglaa Fathy
Sarah Sorel
Ahmed Mehrez
Adel Bey
Gerry Sundquist
Thomas "Tommy" Friskin
Laila Hamada
Nadia
Farid Shawqy
Shaker Bey, Mohsen's Father
Zeinab Sedky
Grandmother
Ezzat Al Alaily
Morsi
Youssef Wahby
Sorel
Yehia Chahine
British Ambassador
Laila Fawzy
Princess Chahinour
Abdel Warith Assir
The Sheikh
Abdel Salam Mohamed
Elly
Seif Abdelrahman
Release History & Theatrical Window
Berlin International Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
October 6, 1979
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Youssef Chahine
- Screenplay & Story
- Youssef Chahine, Mohsen Zayed
- Original Score
- Fouad El-Zahry
- Original Title
- إسكندرية ليه؟
- Country of Origin
- Algeria, Egypt
- Spoken Languages
- French, Arabic, English, German
- Runtime
- 2h 13m
- Production Studios
- MISR International Films, Algerian Television
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Youssef Chahine
Youssef Chahine, Mohsen Zayed
Fouad El-Zahry
Mohsen Nasr
Rashida Abdel Salam
Youssef Chahine
Department Leadership Roster
Youssef Chahine
Director
Youssef Chahine
Producer
Fouad El-Zahry
Original Music Composer
Abdel Fattah Madbouly
Production Design
Youssef Chahine
Writer
Mohsen Zayed
Writer
Rashida Abdel Salam
Editor
Mohsen Nasr
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Alexandria… Why?.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Alexandria… Why?.
Arab Cinema
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War: World War II
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
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Frequently Asked Questions About Alexandria… Why?
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Alexandria… Why? about?
Amid the poverty, death, and suffering caused by World War II, 18-year-old Yehia retreats into a private world of fantasy and longing. Obsessed with Hollywood, he dreams of studying filmmaking in America but struggles to pursue his dream, given the constraints of his life in the middle class and the horrors of war.
Who directed Alexandria… Why??
Alexandria… Why? was directed by Youssef Chahine.
Who stars in Alexandria… Why??
The principal cast of Alexandria… Why? includes Mohsen Mohey ElDein, Mahmood Al-Meleji, Mohsena Tawfiq, Abdullah Mahmoud, Ahmed Zaki.
When was Alexandria… Why? released and how long is it?
Alexandria… Why? was released in 1979 with a total runtime of 2h 13m.
Who composed the musical score for Alexandria… Why??
The original motion picture soundtrack for Alexandria… Why? was composed by Fouad El-Zahry.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Alexandria… Why??
Alexandria… Why? holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).