Alexandria… Why?
7.3
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.
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Part of Alexandria Quad
4 films
Cast
40 people
Mohsen Mohey ElDein
Yehia
Also in
The End
Rivo
Abdel Aziz Makhyoun
Mahmood Al-Meleji
Shukri Murad, Yehia's Father
Also in
The Land
Return of the Prodigal Son
Mohsena Tawfiq
Yehia's Mother
Also in
El Helmeya Nights
Om Kulthum
Fareed Shawqy - فريد شوقي
Shaker
Abdullah Mahmoud
Mohsen
Also in
The Wedge
The Street Player
Ahmed Zaki
Ibrahim
Also in
The Wife of an Important Man
Land of Fear
Naglaa Fathy
Sarah Sorel
Known for
The Three Friends
Ahmed Mehrez
Adel Bey
Also in
Return of the Prodigal Son
Fortunes of War
Gerry Sundquist
Thomas "Tommy" Friskin
Known for
Don't Open Till Christmas
Laila Hamada
Nadia
Also in
The Honey and The Tears
Smart but Stupid
Farid Shawqy
Shaker Bey, Mohsen's Father
Known for
Cairo Station
Youssef Chahine Director · Mohsen Zayed Writer Fouad El-Zahry Composer
United States release October 6, 1979 · Produced in Algeria, Egypt · Languages Arabic, English, French, German
Production
MISR International Films
Production
Algerian Television
Production
Algeria · Egypt
Produced in
Languages
Original title
إسكندرية ليه؟
Original language
Arabic
Spoken on screen
Arabic · English · French · German
Release dates
Germany · February 1, 1979
Premiere · Berlin International Film Festival
Egypt · August 23, 1979
Theatrical
United States · October 6, 1979
Theatrical · New York City, New York
United States
October 1, 1979 · Premiere · Chicago International Film Festival
France
February 27, 1980 · Theatrical
Taiwan
June 28, 2026 · Premiere · Taipei Film Festival
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Some details come from TheTVDB.