The Lebanese films participating in the 5th Ismailia Film Festival have revealed how alienated Lebanese directors are from their city, Beirut, because of the wars it has witnessed.
Twelve Lebanese feature, short, documentary and cartoon films are participating in the event. The film Beirut, Points of View by Hadi Zakak presents five artist’s views about the capital before the civil war, according to news agencies.
Theater director Jalal Khouri expressed his feelings towards the city before the war, describing its beauty, which he said stemmed from the human and social relationships among its inhabitants, and how everything changed after the war.
Burhan Alawiyya, the director of the film Kafr Qasem, expressed his feeling of alienation from Beirut, describing it as “the place of no man’s land."
The singer and composer Ahmed Qaabour, who is known for his political and protest songs, echoed these feelings in his songs.
Artist Maya Al Hajj and Armenian photographer Hachak who lived in Beirut when they were little children. They expressed their fears about the city, since they only remember the scenes of devastation.
The sense of alienation is clear in the feature film Turieb by Maha Haddad, who is 24 years old. The title of his film is the English name spelled backwards.
In his film Saqti Al Bassli, 25-year-old director Emil Slelati offered many comic scenes involving the various neighbors in a single building – Albawaba.com
