A Lebanese film festival in Paris to "continue to exist." Poster designed by Michelle Keserwany.
This year's edition of the Lebanese Film Festival in France will take place amid sorrow, as the country endures a new devastating war, marked by the violence of Israeli attacks and the often imbalanced media coverage abroad, including in France. In this context, it is more important than ever to "not give up," as the festival's founder, Sarah Hajjar, explains. "We must continue to exist. In these tragic circumstances, it's essential to amplify the voices of Lebanese people who are being silenced, and to support filmmakers who tell and share what is happening."
Thus, with a strong commitment to disseminating Lebanese narratives, this year's festival continues for its fourth edition, a goal it has pursued since its inaugural year in 2020, just two months after the Beirut port explosion. "The festival exists precisely to create spaces for exchange, dialogue, and reflection, in order to build our common Lebanon and remain united against the threats of division," Sarah Hajjar continues.
Focus on the representation of war and crisis
This year, the festival has chosen the angle of narrating war and conflict in Lebanese cinema. "When we thought about the theme, we could not have imagined the scale of what we are experiencing now," Sarah Hajjar tells L'Orient-Le Jour, noting her role as a programmer alongside Michel Tabbal, Cyril Nehmé, and Serge Akl. "The narrative of Lebanese cinema has also changed. Last year, we programmed many films that focused more on the consequences of war from a mental health perspective rather than on the war itself. The question was: how do we rebuild after this? How do we take care of ourselves? These are new questions that were not widely discussed in the Arab world. But since then, we have plunged back into a horrific war that brings us back to the narratives of war and crisis."
Reflecting on this theme through images seems more necessary than ever, especially as "films contribute to a form of collective memory." This is already the case for two older works that will be screened again: Vers l’inconnu by Georges Nasser, released in 1957, and Beyrouth, la rencontre by Borhane Alaouié, released in 1981 and set during the civil war.
This foundation naturally extends to other films in the lineup, such as Portrait d’un certain Orient, which explores the exile of a brother and sister to Brazil after the death of their parents during the war, and Valley of Exile, which tells the story of two young Syrian refugees arriving in the Bekaa Valley. Diaries from Lebanon by Myriam El Hajj focuses more on the crisis, depicting Lebanon from 2018 to 2022 through the eyes of four individuals. The narrative weaves through the threads of war and crisis, highlighting the 2020 revolution, which will mark its fourth anniversary on Oct. 19, alongside a documentary by Salim Saab titled Le Cèdre d’octobre. It’s worth noting that the festival’s programming is also quite diverse, featuring more experimental films like the powerful Les oiseaux seront toujours avec nous by Danielle Davie and Mohamad Sabbah, as well as genre films like Low Budget Heist, a Lebanese twist on Ocean’s Eleven. Twenty-five short films will be in competition, half of which are produced in a student context. This year’s jury will be chaired by filmmaker Danielle Arbid, and most screenings will take place at the Lincoln, which has supported the Lebanese Film Festival since its inception.
The collaborative work of passionate volunteers between France and Lebanon
While this fourth edition of the festival is significantly more extensive than previous ones, both in terms of the number of days and films, it is the result of long-term efforts by an increasingly larger team. “We started with three people, and now we are about fifteen,” says the founder, noting that all members are volunteers who offer their assistance out of a shared passion. This year, filmmaker Michelle Keserwany designed the festival poster, and composer Alfred Hajjar created the music. Most of the team navigates between Lebanese and French cultures, reflecting the diverse audience that also attends. “We organize the festival in a cinema, the Lincoln, to attract a regular cinema audience. Over time, our audience has diversified, and today many non-Lebanese people attend the festival,” explains Sarah Hajjar. She adds that the festival owes much to the City of Paris, La Vallée Village, and the Arab World Institute, which enable it to exist and grow, allowing for an even broader dissemination of Lebanese filmmakers’ voices.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.
