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CHRISTIAN GHAZI  Dans ce film, Christian Ghazi joint narration dramatique et image documentaire dans une perspective d’analyse de la société libanaise dans le début des années 1970. Un des rares films Arabes qui présentent une nouvelle forme audiovisuelle de narration. Ce film est l’unique œuvre qui a survécu à la destruction de la filmographie de Ghazi. Entre 1964 et 1988 Ghazi a réalisé 41 documentaires qui ont tous été détruits. Ses premiers 14 films ont été brûlés par la censure. Le reste de ses films a connu le même sort en 1988, aux mains d’une milice locale. Seule une copie 35 mm est encore à l’étranger, dont a été la copie Betacam qui vous est présentée. --- Christian Ghazi was born on 19-11-34 in Antioch, Turkey, from a French mother and a Lebanese father. His family moved to Syria then to Lebanon in 1939 where they settled, and where he studied, worked, lived and witnessed the destruction of all his work – the burning of all his films. While working in the newspaper “Le soir” and as a philosophy teacher, Ghazi was studying music at the Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts (ALBA – 1959). Later he worked at the TV station “Lubnan wal Mashreq”, and at the same time started to direct documentaries. His first twelve documentaries commissioned by the Ministry of Tourism in 1964 were all banned and burned for being subversive. He had filmed people at the Casino du Liban and in restaurants, and the miserable peasants in the North and South of the country, then matched the video of the Casino with the audio of the peasants and vise versa. In 1987 while he was away in Africa, his house in Beirut was devastated by a local militia, and again all his films (the only existing negatives) were burned. Between these two dates (1964 and 1987), this veteran filmmaker had an abundant production – 29 films – mostly about the Palestinian resistance, but also about the Lebanese war, the misery, the refugees…The only remaining of his films is “One hundred faces for a single day”, which he considers as his “manifesto of cinema” (the only copy of this film was found in the Syrian Cinema Institute; the film had been in competition at an alternative film festival in Damascus in 1972 where it won the critics award). Twelve years after his great loss, he directs “The coffin of the memory” (2001), a documentary “about the political insularity and apathy prevalent among so many Lebanese, despite the violence suffered by the people in the region, in Palestine and Iraq”, according to his own words. Since 1959 Christian Ghazi has also written four poetry collections.  LFF 2010 - Film Selections - Part 4
Including the ones listed below, a total of 24 film selections have been announced thus far. Stay tuned for more... ---  Little Stones de Tamara Stepanyan Danemark, Liban, 2010 - Documentaire Odeurs…sensations…gouts…Les sens connectés à la nostalgie de quatre femmes; quatre femmes qui vivent au Danemark. Elles sont Sud-Coréenne, Iranienne, Sud-Africaine et Indienne. Mais elles sont Danoises. Je vis au Liban et Iranienne, Sud-Africaine et Indienne. Mais elles sont Danoises. Je vis au Liban et je suis Libanaise. Mais je suis Arménienne. ---  La7za ma3 “Abou Rakan” de Christophe Katrib Liban, 2008 - Documentaire Abou Rakan, 74 ans, dernier fabriquant de « oud » (luth) de la ville de Tripoli, raconte l’expérience qui l’a lancé dans les années 50. Il joue un morceau sur le premier luth qu’il a fabriqué, Il a du mal, quelque chose pèse sur son cœur, il arrête et partage sa peine… « Merci et louanges a Dieu… Merci et louanges a Dieu, dans tous les cas » ---  Le temps d’un soupir de Patrick Sfeir Liban, 2008-2010 - Animation C'est l'histoire d'une rencontre insolite sur le toit d'un immeuble. ---  My Status de Nathalie Sejean USA, 2009 - Fiction Combien partageons-nous réellement avec les personnes de notre vie ? Alice rentre chez elle après une journée coupée de toute relation virtuelle avec ses amis. Elle est maintenant prête a découvrir ce qui s’est passe dans sa vie, pour le meilleur ou pour le pire. ---  Au milieu des Autres de Renée Awit Liban, 2010 Nadim, un jeune cinéphile, tente d’échapper a sa réalité morne et de son univers familial hostile en trouvant refuge dans le monde du cinéma.Un besoin urgent de récolter une certaine somme d’argent l’entraine dans une petite aventure sur laquelle il projette son regard cinématographique et de laquelle il ne sortira pas indemne. ---  Fleur oubliée de Riham Assi Liban, 2010 - Documentaire « Elle », l'oubliée, vient de la campagne et se nourrit de ses rêves et de ses espoirs. Elle a choisi de raconter son histoire avec un style qui mélange poésie et narration. 
 LFF 2010 - Film Selections - Part 3
 RAMI KODEIH  Born in a southern small city, Nabatieh in 1983, Rami Kodeih was graded excellent for his senior project, a short fiction film A Sheherazade Tale that made a big festivals’ tour around the world. Currently he's preparing his two short films and his first feature, and at the same time he's working as a Director for TV Documentaries, TVCs and Video Clips, as a Director/DOP in Documentaries. --- Congratulations on being selected for screening at this year's Lebanese Film Festival. Why did you submit your film to this particular festival? First, I would like to thank the Lebanese Film Festival for selecting my short film. A Sheherazade Tale was selected at LFF 2007. I think it was the best Lebanese screening for my first short film: it was the best audience quantity and quality wise. In 2009, while i was working with Né à Beyrouth on a project, I showed Sandra (one of Né à Beyrouth's and LFF's family, hehe) an experimental video called P Like Pranoia. This happened by accident. It was also selected in the festival, in the Video Clip section! So I think there is quite a good relation with Né à Beyrouth and the LFF family, whether work or festival wise. Also, I think the audience of this festival is a very good audience. "Al Mathana" is your second movie, in what doest it differ from "Sheherazade's Tale" ? "Al Mathana", The Mill, is very different from A Sheherazade Tale... At the beginning, I thought I wanted to try to shoot something with the RED ONE camera. So I wrote a very low budget film, trying a style different from A Sheherazade Tale. Let's say that what happened was quite the opposite. It was a new experience for me when it comes to the story line, the style, the structure and the 'langage cinematographique'. The Mill was for me a big exercise and a tough experience, especially since I tried to direct the movie and play at the same time. That was really difficult. The film is a criticism of how video games influence young people. According to you, how can we resolve this problem ? While writing The Mill, I wasn't thinking of what I want to criticize. I just wrote it very spontaneously. I might be one of those influenced by video games, I don't know hehe... But anyway, it could be seen that way. As a result, I think there is no concrete solution, we are already surrounded by violence especially in our sensitive region. What’s next ? Now I'm working on some interesting documentaries for Al Jazeera, and I'm re-writing my feature film. Both the documentaries and the feature are also related to the youth living in our country and especially in Beirut.  LFF 2010 - Film Selections - Part 2
 Love talk 2 de Sirine Fattouh Liban, France, 2009 - Documentaire Cette vidéo a été réalisée en même temps que Love Talk 1. A la suite de la conversation avec l’ancien champion d’haltérophilie du Liban, une deuxième discussion avec un autre sportif où il raconte sa passion pour le sport, son rapport au corps et à la beauté. Il évoque sa rencontre avec sa femme et donne sa définition de la séduction. ---  Al Mathana de Rami Kodeih Lebanon, 2009 - Fiction Ali and Kamal are two close cousins despite their opposed personalities. Ali is a dreamer and Kamal is a macho. They go to spend one day in the nature near an abandoned mill in their native South Lebanon. During their trip, their rapport de force slowly unfolds. ---  Kil El Assafir Bit Sawfir by Roy Khalil Lebanon, 2009 - Fiction All Birds Whistle tells the story of an old couple that lives an annoying almost numbing routine until the day their neighbor puts his cannary in their care.Little by little the woman starts communicating with the bird, which tickles the husband’s jealousy. ---  Au pays qui te ressemble de Maya Abdul-Malak France, 2010 - Documentaire Au pays qui te ressemble est un cheminement sur les traces de mon passé perdu, au contact de ma mère, ma grand-mère et un homme que j'aime, dans un pays qui m'échappe et me retient, le Liban. ---  Les herbes folles de Roy Arida France, 2009 - Fiction Un oeuf. Deux hommes. Un fusil. Une fenêtre. Ou le réveil de deux francs-tireurs en temps de guerre civile. ---  Ruines de Roy Arida France, 2009 - Fiction L’histoire d’Assaad, ancien milicien libanais qui a combattu durant la guerre civile et qui, depuis, est devenu vampire. Une allégorie de dérive socio-politique.  PATRIC CHIHA LFF 2010 : Domaine  Patric Chiha est né en 1975 à Vienne en Autriche. Après la réalisation de plusieurs courts et moyens-métrages, et documentaires (dont HOME, OÙ SE TROUVE LE CHEF DE LA PRISON ? et LES MESSIEURS) sélectionnés dans de nombreux festivals, il réalise en 2009 son premier long-métrage, DOMAINE, avec Béatrice Dalle et Isaïe Sultan. --- Why did you submit your film to this particular festival ? "Domaine" is your first feature film. How was the shooting ? Somehow, I was very lucky. I dreamed of making this film about the relationship between a woman who says goodbye to the world and a boy who discovers it. And I was free to shoot it as I thought. The producer, the cast and the crew followed me and I could give the movie the shape, which seemed the most right to me. That was very important, because I think that emotion on film has especially to do with shape. How did you come to choose Beatrice Dalle ? I don't like the idea of typecasting or casting against type. I simply had a strong desire to film Béatrice Dalle and I wrote the script for her. Before meeting her, I sensed her gentleness and violence were very similar to Nadia's. I was fascinated by her in the way Pierre (Isaïe Sultan) is fascinated by Nadia. The first time I met her, I was waiting for her in a café. She came in and stood smack in the middle of the room, straight as an arrow, between two columns, and I knew that was the film right there. Something about her speaks to me of time, maybe it's this strange impression I get that she has none: no past, no present, no future. I think she immediately understood that's what I was looking for: a violent detachment. It's contradictory, and it truly defines her. What’s next ?  LFF 2010 - Film Selections - Part 1 The submission period for the 2010 Lebanese Film Festival is now closed. Thank you to everyone who sent works for consideration. During the next few weeks, the LFF blog will introduce the selected films (in no particular order). ---  Domaine de Patric Chiha France, 2009 - Fiction Pierre, un adolescent, passe tout son temps avec Nadia, une femme flamboyante d’une quarantaine d’années. Leur relation est amicale, presque amoureuse. L’anarchie qui règne dans la vie de Nadia fascine ce jeune homme au seuil de l’âge adulte. Mais Nadia est une femme blessée, dépendante de l’alcool. Petit à petit elle s’abandonne. Pierre pense pouvoir l’aider, la retenir… ---  Vulnérable de Reine Mitri Liban, France, Allemagne, 2009 - Documentaire Chronique d’angoisse, chronique de violence, histoires de départ, histoires de défaite, et au milieu du chaos, la musique et le cinéma. « Vulnérable » est ma chronique du Liban de 2006 à 2008. Pendant trois ans j’ai filmé dans mon espace intime, sur l’écran de télé, une violence au quotidien, et sur l’écran de montage, un autre film qui est resté suspendu - celui sur la guerre de juillet 2006. J’ai aussi filmé mes amis ; ceux qui ont quitté le pays et ceux qui y sont restés. Tout au long, des questions se sont posées : quel espace reste-t-il pour la liberté de l’individu, pour l’espoir, la créativité et l’amour ? Le bonheur individuel peut-il exister au milieu du malheur collectif ? Comment vivre avec la défaite ? ---  Beirut Skinhead Movement by Khaled Ramadan and Joanne Nucho Lebanon, USA, 2010 - Documentary This investigational documentary is not a scientific production by any means. It is built up around street gossips about a natural phenomenon visible in the streets of Beirut. In our quest for an explanation to why the majority of men in the city of Beirut lose their hair early in life, we discover that people are aware of the problem, but no one really knows why it exists. The phenomenon itself is no longer at question since almost all men in Beirut are without hair or in the process of losing it. While searching for an explanation to the growing number of bald heads, we learned much about the different hypotheses, and the terms used on the street for bald people or skinheads. Ajlah, Aslaa, Aqraa, Ahlat and Zalabita all means head without hair - a bald head. ---  Terre de pommes de terres by Ziad Antar Lebanon , 2009 - Experimental A cinematographic essay on potato harvesting in the bekaa valley. ---  Liban, France, 2009 - Documentaire Un ancien champion d'haltérophilie raconte son engagement au sport, son rapport au corps et à la beauté. La discussion divague, le champion livre son admiration envers l'univers cinématographique et les films sur la mafia. 
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