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INTERVIEW

Bernard Hage revisits the Lebanese crisis through satire

Lebanon, battered and fragmented, comes to life in Bernard Hage’s “The Great Map of The Crisis,” which features his signature black humor.

Bernard Hage revisits the Lebanese crisis through satire

Nadyn Chalhoub and Bernard Hage. (Credit: People photographed)

Known as The Art of Boo, Bernard Hage has created a distinct persona, though he often seeks to step away from it. For years, Hage captivated thousands of fans with his tales of love and loathing for Lebanon, shared on social media and the back page of L’Orient-Le Jour.

His minimalist style, featuring a character lost and desperate in a white space symbolizing the Lebanese experience, combined with his take on local and international news that swings between realism and absurdity, has shaped his artistic identity.

Based in Berlin for the past three years, Hage continues to work on projects closely linked to Lebanon. His latest endeavor, “The Great Map of The Crisis,” is set to launch on social networks on July 4. This five-part satirical documentary series explores the reasons behind Lebanon’s current crisis.

Hage also created an imaginary map in the shape of a turd, divided into five districts, each corresponding to an episode.

The first episode, “The Collapse,” provides an in-depth analysis of the 2019 downfall. “The Golden Days” offers a retrospective look at the situation before the crisis, questioning whether it began in 2019 or had been brewing for decades.

“The System” presents the main economic and political players, while “The Forest of the Civil War” discusses the war and the subsequent amnesty law. Finally, “The Present Past” describes the prevailing mood among the Lebanese people today.

For this project, the cartoonist is stepping out of his usual reserve and taking to the stage in front of the camera for five caustic episodes, accompanied by Nadyn Chalhoub, from the “Coffee Break.

In the following interview with L’Orient-Le Jour, he discussed the genesis of this “Great Map of The Crisis.”

When and how was the project born?

To put it simply, the project was born out of necessity. It started towards the end of 2020, when I still lived in Lebanon.

The financial crisis was at its peak, and the communal mindset was hitting rock bottom. The overwhelming abundance of information and unanswered questions created an urgent need for us to “simplify” the Lebanese crisis and trace back the political, economic and social patterns that led to it.

The Lebanese Association for History, forumZFD, and I got together to brainstorm various potential collaboration ideas. It’s worth noting that this initiative emerged amid a significant wave of political awakening, inspired by many informative efforts taking place at the time — whether online, in seminars and talks or in the protest squares.

What is special about this project in your work?

This project has allowed me to go further in my work, especially as I’m experimenting with new formats, such as scriptwriting and acting.

Here, not only am I commenting on day-to-day Lebanese politics, but I’m also questioning the history that led to these politics, and I’m wrapping it all up in a nice bouquet of information before passing it on to a wider audience.

As an artist, I feel that this is the ultimate goal of my work, especially where Lebanon is concerned.

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How did the preparation and filming go?

It was a long — and admittedly tiring — four-year process that stretched my patience to its limits, but the outcome made the whole thing worth it.

First, a team of researchers, historians and journalists was assembled. We carried out long sessions of in-depth discussions to define and agree on the topics we were researching and how we planned to curate and disseminate the information. Once all research and historical facts were gathered, it was my turn to come up with a creative idea to translate this research into a more accessible language.

Being a cartoonist, my starting point was to create a satirical map through which this researched information was organized by thematic districts. This idea then developed into having a video for each district that discusses the information in detail, which eventually evolved into a legitimate mini-series format of five episodes.

I chose the format of two news anchors stationed in a studio, presenting both current and historical facts about Lebanon.

Throughout the program, they react to the information they present, sometimes interjecting with awkward moments or occasional jokes.

Furthermore, to create small breaks or breathing spaces for the audience, I included animated infographics and filmed scenes serving as humorous sketches that comment on specific issues.

I wrote the scripts in detail, with lots of back and forth with the editorial team, who always ensured we used the right words and correct terms without sounding biased toward any political side or narrative. The aim was to write unbiased history, and it was hectic.

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Once the scripts were approved, I shared them along with my vision with Samir Syriani, the amazing film director who curated all production crew members and made the whole thing possible from a production point of view. You should know that Samir is the kind of director capable of shooting a Hollywood blockbuster with the budget of a student film, even if this means replacing Brad Pitt with, say, Elie Ferzli. The excellent outcome is still guaranteed.

So, Samir and I discussed the scripts in length and decided on details such as studio shape and mood, camera language, etc. We then rehearsed the scripts a few times in casual locations, and the actual episodes were filmed in five days in the studio. Shooting days stretched from 12 to 14 hours and were filled with mis-readings, repetitions, mispronunciations, then more repetitions, and also hilarious moments.

Nadyn Chalhoub was without hesitation my first choice for co-host in this project, and I could hardly imagine anyone else doing it. I’ve been friends with Nadyn for almost a decade now, and I can safely say that sarcasm and a twisted sense of humor are what glue this friendship together. Nadyn has a quick and poignant wit that I deeply admire, and she acts well. I know this because whenever we meet, she acts so convincingly that she’s happy to see me.

Why the turd illustration?

All Bernard Hage in this absurdly sarcastic illustration.

I think the shape of the crisis map is self-explanatory and delivers the message on its own. We Lebanese are well aware that we’re in deep shit, so we might as well officialize it, explore it and try to locate our position within it. I think of it as a cluttered island that one can only leave once they have fully explored it. I also believe that those who never explore it will never find the exit.

Apart from this project, what are you currently working on?

Working on this project, despite the outcome that I’m very pleased with, was physically, mentally and emotionally draining. This is why I decided that for my next project, I would take a little break from politics in general and Lebanese politics in particular, and focus on a more personal aspect of life. In Berlin, I started writing “The Awkwardness of Being,” which will be my first graphic novel exploring the tragedies and comedies of existence.

The entire experience is available through a dedicated website designed specifically for the project: www.azmetlebnen.com. Here, visitors can interact with the map, watch the episodes, and access additional features such as a printed version of the crisis map, research resources, etc.

A round-table discussion on the subject of “The Great Map of The Crisis” will be held on Thursday, July 4, from 6-8 p.m. at the Beirut Art Center. The event will feature Bernard Hage, former minister Ziyad Baroud, and journalist Josephine Deeb.

Location: Beirut Art Center, Jisr-al Wati, Safe BLDG., St. 93, Zone 66, Adlieh.

This article was originally published in L'Orient-Le Jour and translated by Sahar Ghoussoub.

Known as The Art of Boo, Bernard Hage has created a distinct persona, though he often seeks to step away from it. For years, Hage captivated thousands of fans with his tales of love and loathing for Lebanon, shared on social media and the back page of L’Orient-Le Jour.His minimalist style, featuring a character lost and desperate in a white space symbolizing the Lebanese experience, combined...