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This is an introduction to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival's retrospective, A Tribute to Youseff Chahine. An abridged version of this text will be published in the festival catalog.Youssef ChahineIn a filmography overflowing with countless grandstanding moments, a quiet moment stands out in Youssef Chahine’s formative career period: a sultry soda vendor is dragged to a motionless train by a group of young hipsters playing rock ‘n’ roll. She starts dancing in abandon, letting go and losing the little inhibitions she may have had. A crippling newspaper seller, played by Chahine himself, slowly approaches the train cabin window, gazing at the dancing vendor. His gaze interrupts her dancing when they lock eyes. A brief look of shame, of awkwardness, crosses her face. His eyes are dismayingly blank. She offers him a bottle of soda. He takes it. She smiles. He smiles back. She resumes her frantic dancing...