Press Release Criterion Press Release: Cairo Station (1958) (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

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Cairo Station​

Youssef Chahine established his international reputation with this masterpiece, which, though initially a commercial failure in Egypt, would become one of the most influential and celebrated works in all of Arab cinema. The director himself stars as Kenawi, a disabled newspaper hawker whose obsession with a sultry drink seller (Hind Rostom, known as the “Marilyn Monroe of Arabia”) leads to tragedy of operatic proportions on the streets of Cairo. Blending elements of neorealism with provocative noir-melodrama, Cairo Station is a work of raw populist poetry that explores the individual’s search for a place in Egypt’s new postrevolutionary political order.

FILM INFO​

• Egypt
• 1958
• 76 minutes
• Black & White
• 1.37:1
• Arabic
• Spine #1273
  
  

  BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES​

  • New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • New 2K digital restoration of Cairo as Seen by Chahine (1991), a short documentary by Youssef Chahine, with an introduction by film scholar Joseph Fahim
  • New interview with Fahim
  • Chahine . . . Why? (2009), a documentary on the director and Cairo Station
  • Excerpt from Chahine’s appearance at the 1998 Midnight Sun Film Festival
  • New English subtitle translation
  • PLUS: An essay by Fahim
    
    New cover by Mariam El-Reweny
    
    
    August 12, 2025

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. As an Amazon Associate HTF earns from qualifying purchases. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.

https://www.amazon.com/Cairo-Station-Criterion-Collection-Blu-ray/dp/B0F96CC4WL

 

[Martin_Teller]

An amazing film, recommended for fans of noir.

 

[bujaki]

More Chahine on BR, please.

 

[titch]

I've previously been unaware of this, but am eagerly awaiting the first Egyptian film in my collection! About time, considering that Cairo produces around three-quarters of the Arab world's screen output - according to Wikipedia.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Preorder is live. See second post.