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Monday 10 January, 7 PM
Skies of Lebanon
Chloé Mazlo,
90 minutes, Drama, in French, Arabic and Italian with Arabic and
English subtitles, France, 2020
In the
fifties, young Alice leaves her natal Swiss mountains for the sunny
and vibrant shores of Beirut. She falls madly in love with Joseph, a
quirky astrophysicist intent on sending the first Lebanese national
into space. Alice quickly fits in among his relatives, but after
years of bliss, the civil war threatens their Garden of Eden.
The film has
received a Special Mention in the Arab feature-length narrative
films category at the 2nd Amman International Film Festival – Awal
Film. It was also nominated for the Lumiere Awards for Best First
Film and the Golden Gate Award for New Director at San Francisco
International Film Festival.
Film Trailer |
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Tuesday 11 January, 7 PM
All This Victory
Ahmad
Ghossein, 93 minutes, Drama, in Arabic with English subtitles,
Lebanon/ France/ Qatar, 2019
Followed by
a discussion with the director Ahmad Ghossein.
RATED 16+
Lebanon,
July 2006. War is raging between Hezbollah and Israel. During a
24-hour ceasefire, Marwan heads out in search of his father, who
refused to leave his Southern village, and leaves his wife Rana
preparing alone their immigration to Canada. Marwan finds no trace
of his father and the ceasefire is quickly broken, forcing him to
take shelter in Najib's house, his father’s friend. Marwan finds
himself trapped under the rain of bombs with Najib and a group of
elders, friends of his father. Tension rises inside and outside of
the house. Suddenly, a group of Israeli soldiers enter the first
floor. Trapped in their location, as well as by their own fears, the
next three days see the situation spiral out of control.
The film has
won the Grand Prize at Venice Film Festival’s International Film
Critics Week as well as the Audience Award. It was nominated for the
Golden Pyramid Award for Best Film at Cairo International Film
Festival.
Film trailer |
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Wednesday 12 January , 7 PM
Memory Box
Joana
Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, 95 minutes, Drama, in Arabic, French
and English with Arabic and English subtitles, Lebanon/ Canada/
France/ Qatar, 2021
RATED 18+
Maia, a
single mother, lives in Montreal with her teenage daughter, Alex. On
Christmas Eve, they receive an unexpected delivery: notebooks,
tapes, and photos Maia sent to her best friend in 1980’s Beirut.
Maia refuses to open the box or confront its memories, but Alex
secretly begins diving into it.
Between
fantasy and reality, Alex enters the world of her mother’s
tumultuous, passionate adolescence during the Lebanese civil war,
unlocking mysteries of a hidden past.
“Memory Box” has won Saad Eldin Wahba Award For Best Film at The Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition at Cairo International Film Festival. The film was also nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear Award for Best Film at
Berlin International Film Festival. It has also been nominated for
Best Film at Seville European Film Festival, the Media Choice Award
for Director and Film at Shanghai International Film Festival as
well as the International Jury Grand Prize at War on Screen
International Film Festival.
Film Trailer |