Before We Heal Wins the Best Short Film Award at the Gabes Cinema Fen

Director Nadim Hobeika’s short film Before We Heal won the First Prize for the Best Short Film at the first edition of the Gabes Cinema Fen. This marks the film’s second award after receiving a Special Mention for Best Female Performance at the 2nd Beirut Women International Film Festival (BWFF).

Gabes Cinema Fen is an independent emerging festival of auteur cinema that aims to reconnect with the world and end the state of cultural isolation. The festival’s slogan is to celebrate art away from restrictions.

Most recently, Before We Heal took part in the Haifa Independent Film Festival (HIFF), Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), Carthage Film Festival (JCC), and was screened in its homeland Lebanon at the Lebanese Film Festival (LFF). The film world premiered at the Aegean Film Festival in Greece, and took part in the Arab Film Festival (AFF) in California, USA.

Saleem and Raya meet at Raya's place. Saleem enters the toilet and somehow gets stuck. Between the inside and the outside, trials and disappointments, laughter and hope, memories and screams, are all being shared at the doorstep.

Written and directed by Nadim Hobeika, Before We Heal stars Yumna Marwan, Mohammad Bsat and Elie Njeim. The film’s crew includes Cinematographer Céline Layous, Editor Nathalie Rbeiz, and Composer Jean Nassif. Before We Heal is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.

Lebanese director Nadim Hobeika obtained his degree in filmmaking from Saint Joseph University in 2014. His graduation short film Feu de Camp (Bonfire) participated in several film festivals around the world. In 2015, he attended open courses at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, New York, to develop his craft.

Back in Lebanon, Hobeika worked as a first assistant director with renowned Lebanese filmmakers. In between, he directed many corporate films, two music videos for the Lebanese band Adonis that witnessed a great audience acclaim, and shot his second short film Before We Heal. Hobeika is currently in the script development process of his first feature film.