Alexandria... Why?

Alexandria... Why? AKA Iskanderija... lih?
Studio Unknown
February 1979 (Berlin International Film Festival)
Historical Drama
DVD
C-

I found the first quarter-hour both chaotic and uneventful, as the setting of Alexandria during World War II is established, with many characters.  This is a trilingual film, with not only Arabic but French and English.  Youssef Chahine directed and co-wrote, and it's somewhat autobiographical.  (The movie-struck youth is presumably his representative.)  Oddly enough, this is the first '70s movie on this blog.