The room of Cinéma Opéra in Tripoli, as part of Hady Zaccak's exhibition (Credit: Photo archives)
"The 10th edition of the Beirut Art Film Festival (BAFF) will be held against all odds in a Lebanon ravaged by half a century of war.” It is with these tenacious words that Artistic Director Alice Mogabgab introduced BAFF 2024, which had already been postponed.
The festival will take place from Nov. 25 to Dec. 6 in the Leila Turqui amphitheater at the Oriental Library, in collaboration with Saint-Joseph University’s Institute for Theater, Audiovisual and Cinematic Studies (IESAV).
“Stop War”: this is what all those involved in the festival are calling for. Over the years, BAFF has become a not-to-be-missed event for lovers of art, cinema, architecture and more.
This year's event was made possible thanks to the support of its patrons, the Philippe Jabre Association and the Saadallah and Loubna Khalil Foundation, as well as a number of sponsors.
The event was also organized in collaboration with more embassies than usual, including the British embassy, which had been absent for the past four years due to Brexit.
Twenty-five films, a conference and an exhibition
BAFF’s opening and closing ceremonies feature Tripoli, the cultural capital of the Arab world, as well as the situation in Lebanon, which are the essence of the festival's message.
The festival will kick off with Hady Zaccak's “Cinema Tripoli: Archaeology of a Collective Memory,” a photo exhibition which, as its name suggests, delves into the heart of Tripoli's movie theaters.
This exhibition will be followed by the Lebanese premiere of “Byblos, Revealed,” a film by director Philippe Aractingi about the latest discoveries at the Byblos site.
“These are major revelations for us Lebanese, who are currently living in total darkness at the moment. It's great to see how archaeology can bring light back into our lives. It's truly a miracle,” said Mogabgab.
Also scheduled for the same day is “Cilama,” a film by Zaccak which explores the history of Tripoli's cinemas — a theme that was the subject of a book published three years ago.
BAFF, whose program is based on the concept of one day per participating country, will be screening two films from the UK on Tuesday, Nov. 26: the first, at 4 p.m., is Stephane Carrel's “Resilient Man,” which tells the story of a dancer who has overcome tragedy and has come a long way — a film that inevitably echoes the Lebanese tragedy. The second, at 6 p.m., is the film capture of Macbeth, starring Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma, which will be presented for the first time.
“Friendship with Lebanon is particularly evident in this festival,” said Mogabgab, mentioning that the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, the Instituto Cervantes, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland and Spain — all loyal supporters of the festival — will be attending alongside Germany and Brazil, both making their debut in the program, as well as Japan, which is returning after a five-year absence.
“Cinema is the main focus of BAFF 2024, but it is, above all, the cry of directors, artists, producers and the public who have joined me in calling for an end to the war,” said Mogabgab, adding that this is what a committed festival is all about: conveying the voices of those who are part of it. “Everyone must demand an end to the fighting,” she continued, refusing to cancel or postpone the event again.
“The country has been at war for 50 years. Stop war!” urged BAFF’s artistic director. “We need to overcome fear and renew our trust in humankind, which is capable of things other than destruction and violence, such as producing art and culture or, in other words, producing beauty,” said Mogabab.
Inviting us to enjoy a special moment, she revealed, without divulging its content, that the festival will have a sequel and that BAFF at School will be held from January until April 2025.
Mogabgab admitted that she had no trouble convincing her sponsors, whose merits she praised.
“The Lebanese are dynamic and enthusiastic, and the young people who invest and believe in Lebanon are great. Their made-in-Lebanon products are of high quality, and we're happy to have them as partners.”
The festival, which promises to provide a breath of fresh air, also supports USJ film students. All proceeds from ticket sales and profits from snack sales will be entirely donated to USJ Foundation - Aimée Boulos Scholarship to the benefit of IESAV students.
In addition to works about artists such as Giacometti, Le Corbusier, Fouad Elkoury, Arne Jacobsen, Jakub Jósef Orlinski, the film “Daaaaaalí !” (2024), by Quentin Dupieux, will be screened Saturday, Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m.
The program also includes the film capture of Christian Spuck’s ballet “Emma Bovary” with Berlin Staatsballett and the Berlin Opera orchestra, conducted by Jonathan Stockhammer, which is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 2, as well as Bahij Hojeij’s documentary on the Oriental Library, which will be shown Thursday, Dec. 5 at 4 p.m.
BAFF closes Friday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. with director Feyrouz Serhal’s film “Maroun returns to Beirut,” dedicated to director Maroun Bagdadi on the 30th anniversary of his death.
All films will be projected once.
Tickets are sold at Librairie Antoine, on Antoine Ticketing website and at the theater door.
The full program of the festival is available here and on info@bafflebanon.org.
