Cairo Station Blu-ray Arrives August 12 from The Criterion Collection

Cairo Station (1958) arrives on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection on August 12, 2025. Directed by Youssef Chahine, this black-and-white drama is a seminal work of Arab cinema, blending neorealism and noir-melodrama on the bustling streets of Cairo.

Cairo Station stars the director himself as Kenawi, a disabled newspaper hawker whose obsession with a glamorous drink seller triggers a tragic chain of events. The film explores themes of social struggle and individual place within postrevolutionary Egypt through a stark, realistic lens.

This release features a brand-new 4K digital restoration presented with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack, ensuring a high-quality viewing experience faithful to the original film presentation. The Blu-ray edition also includes a fresh 2K restoration of Cairo as Seen by Chahine (1991), a short documentary by Youssef Chahine, introduced by film scholar Joseph Fahim.

Additional special features enrich the release: a new interview with Fahim, the Chahine... Why? (2009) documentary on both the director and the film, an excerpt from Chahine’s appearance at the 1998 Midnight Sun Film Festival, and a new English subtitle translation. The release also includes an essay by Joseph Fahim that provides critical context.

This Criterion Collection edition from Criterion Studios offers an essential package for collectors and cinephiles interested in Arab cinema history and the legacy of Youssef Chahine.

Release Contents:

• New 4K digital restoration: Enhanced image quality with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• New 2K restoration of Cairo as Seen by Chahine (1991): Intro by Joseph Fahim
• New interview with Joseph Fahim: Insightful contextual commentary
• Chahine . . . Why? (2009): Documentary on Youssef Chahine and Cairo Station
• Excerpt from 1998 Midnight Sun Film Festival appearance: Archival footage
• New English subtitle translation
• Essay by Joseph Fahim

Release Date: August 12, 2025