On the third day of El Gouna International Film Festival, a tribute in memory of Youssef Chahine was hosted. The tribute saw an exhibition of his posters, a reworking of his film scores, a newly restored masterpiece from the film The Emigrant, and a montage of Chahine’s films by Amir Ramsis.

The event evoked nostalgia in the hearts of the attendees, and with the composer-conductor, Hisham Gabr’s rendition of a set of Chahine’s most notable musical scores, the event soared to new heights.

In an interview with Al Ahram Online, Gabr describes the selection of film scores as “strong and persuasive scores,” especially the ones from the films ‘The Land’ and ‘The Sixth Day’.

Gabr told Al Ahram Online that they had selected “a singer whose voice is close to Magda Al-Rumi’s to perform the songs Al-Rumi famously sang in Chahine’s films.”

And as the music was playing in the foreground, a big screen lit up with a music-synchronised montage of select scenes from Chahine’s movies, on-set shots of the man himself, and short takes from interviews with Chahine.

There is more to this man than anyone can remember, but they gracefully brought his legacy to life.