Egyptian filmmaker Chahine in a coma

CAIRO, June 17 (UPI) -- Egyptian director Youssef Chahine, who made about 40 movies in a career that has spanned half a century, reportedly is in a coma.

The official Egyptian news agency said the 82-year-old filmmaker, who was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, suffered a brain hemorrhage and was taken to France for treatment.

The BBC said Chahine is well-known as a critic of Islamic fundamentalism and corruption in Egyptian political life, as well as an opponent of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.