This Friday, 9 September, Casa Árabe in Madrid is kicking off a cycle dedicated to new cinema from Lebanon. Entitled "Light from a Broken Land", the compilation includes seven films (including shorts and feature films, documentaries and fiction), and has been put together by the Lebanese journalist and writer Nicole Hamouche.
The screenings will take place on Fridays from 9 to 30 September at 7:30 p.m. in Casa Árabe's auditorium (Calle Alcalá, 62), and the screenings will be in the original version with Spanish subtitles. Tickets are already on sale on Casa Árabe's own website, starting at 4 euros.
The films shown depict the country's current situation through the lens of contemporary filmmakers, whose work is highly regarded in the field of contemporary creation in the Middle East. Some of the films, such as "Costa Brava" by Mounia Akl or "Memory Box" by the acclaimed Joanna Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige have been screened at the latest editions of top-level festivals such as Berlin, Seville and Toronto.
The complete programme is as follows:
Friday 9 September
Thawra Soul by Philippe Aractingi (2019, France, VOSE, 11 min)
Conversations with Siro by Dima El-Horr (2021, Lebanon, France. VOSE, 53 min.)
Friday 16 September
Costa Brava by Mounia Akl (2021, Lebanon, Denmark, Spain, France, Norway, Sweden, Qatar, VOSE, 106 min)
Friday 23rd September
Not much longer now by Milia Ayache and Nour Annan (2021, Lebanon, VOSE, 16 min)
Beirut, the aftermath by Fadia Ahmed (2020, Lebanon, VOSE, 44 min)
Friday 30 September
Red Wall, by Cynthia Sawma (2020, Lebanon, VOSE, 4 min)
Memory Box, by Joanna Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige (2021, France, Canada, Lebanon, VOSE, 102 min.)
Nicole Hamouche is a French-Lebanese consultant specialising in arts and culture, creative industries, sustainable development, circular economy and impact projects. She regularly publishes editorial articles in cultural sections such as l'Orient Le Jour, l'Agenda Cultural. She regularly contributes to cultural events related to the Middle East and the Mediterranean in terms of theatre, cinema, debates and conferences with leading intellectuals, playwrights, film directors and representatives of civil societies in the region. She has launched numerous initiatives to present the image of Lebanon from different perspectives, highlighting her skills as a storyteller and writer. Her texts, reports and editorials can be found on her blog www.penseesdebeyrouth.mondoblog.org, and in publications such as: "The silent leaders, Lebanese revolution, 17 October 2019"; "Beyrouth, a coeur ouvert", "Liban: messages pour un pays", " The women of Lebanon", etc.
The series is part of the activities programmed by Casa Árabe this year 2022 with Lebanon in the spotlight and accompanies the exhibition "Lights or shadows of what was and still is", which can be seen in the exhibition rooms of the Madrid headquarters until 25 September.