“An underclass psycho-thriller.”

— David Chute, LA Weekly

“A jewel of a film.”

— Samir Hachem, Hollywood Reporter

“Today, this DVD release offers serious cinephiles a rare chance to understand Chahine’s importance, which has been rooted in reputation and not retrospective for too many years (the majority of his films are not available in U.S. on DVD). This long-overdue release is very highly recommended.”

— Phil Hall, Film Threat

In this beautiful classic film from legendary director Youssef Chahine, Cairo’s main railroad station is used to represent all of Egyptian society. We see a community comprised of luggage carriers and soft-drink vendors living in abandoned train cars.

A crippled newspaper dealer, Kinawi (played by Chahine himself), falls in love with the beautiful but indifferent Hanuma (Hind Rostom), a lemonade seller who only has eyes for the handsome Abu Sri’. Swept away by his obsessive desire, Kinawi kidnaps the object of his passion, with terrible consequences.

Chahine received international recognition when this masterpiece of sexuality, repression, madness and violence among society’s marginalized played at the Berlin Film Festival, where it was nominated for a Golden Bear in 1958.