Yousry Nasrallah

Yousry was born in Cairo in 1952 to a Coptic family He studied economics at Cairo University before studying cinema at the Higher Institute for Cinema in Cairo in 1973 Initially Yousry worked as a cinema critic for a Lebanese paper named alSafeer and as a directors assistant in Beirut He also worked as a directors assistant with Youssif Chahine on the film projects Wadaan Bonaparte and Hadoutta Masriyah 1981 Furthermore Yousry also worked with Folker Shlondorf on alMuzayyaf and with Umar Amiraly on the documentary title Massaib Qoum Next he participated in writing the screenplay for Iskandiriyah Kaman wa Kaman 1989 with Youssif Chahine and worked with him again in directing alQahira Menawara bi Ahlaha Yousry directed his first featurelength film in 1990 the work titled Sariqat Sayfiah his second featurelength direction work was Mercedes 1993 Thereafter he directed Sibbyan wa Banat Boys and Girls in 1995 and alMadeena The City in 1999 One of his bestrecognized works Bab alShams Gateway of the Sun came about in 2004 and his last work was in 2008s Geneinat alAsmak Yousry has offered audiences a unique view through his works and has tried to use his films to portray clearly the mindset of Egyptian society and its psychological constituents His first featurelength work Sariqat Sayfiah Summer Thefts was perhaps influenced by his own life story as it relates to the life of his wealthy Coptic feudal family and the farmers