Stereo Kawalis remembers in Tripoli: A pop-up of memory, dust and light
As part of International Archives Week 2025, Rumman revives Tripoli – Mina’s cinematic past with a pop-up exhibition and a guided walk through its forgotten movie houses, revealing the city as both an archive and a storyteller.
L'Orient Today / By Rayanne TAWIL,
19 June 2025 16:33
From ruins to rhythm, Stereo Kawalis in Mina, once a crumbling cinema, now pulses with sound and memory. This collage traces its transformation: from dusty reels and forgotten gears to a vibrant venue where archival fragments meet a living stage. (Photo credits: Rayane Tawil/L'Orient Today)
Two years ago, the floor was the archive.I remember stepping into this same room when it was still in the thick of renovation dust in the air, cracked tiles underfoot and piles of brittle documents scattered across the floor like fallen leaves. Everything felt paused, in limbo. The cinema was asleep, but dreaming.A glimpse into Stereo Kawalis two years ago, ledgers, film posters, and printing blocks lay scattered — history unfolded beneath the feet, unfiled and alive. (Credits: Rayanne Tawil/L'Orient Today) Now, the scene has shifted.Those same materials — film reels, ink-stained stamps, folded programs, and old beer bottles still bearing the grime of past screenings — are no longer waiting to be found. They’ve been gently lifted, arranged, and made legible. They sit on marble tables like offerings. The red velvet walls are lit with...
Two years ago, the floor was the archive.I remember stepping into this same room when it was still in the thick of renovation dust in the air, cracked tiles underfoot and piles of brittle documents scattered across the floor like fallen leaves. Everything felt paused, in limbo. The cinema was asleep, but dreaming.A glimpse into Stereo Kawalis two years ago, ledgers, film posters, and printing blocks lay scattered — history unfolded beneath the feet, unfiled and alive. (Credits: Rayanne Tawil/L'Orient Today) Now, the scene has shifted.Those same materials — film reels, ink-stained stamps, folded programs, and old beer bottles still bearing the grime of past screenings — are no longer waiting to be found. They’ve been gently lifted, arranged, and made legible. They sit on marble tables like offerings. The red velvet walls are...
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