6 Amazing Lebanese Filmmakers You Need To Know About
Lebanon has always been a hub of all kinds of art, with artists inspired by all its complexities and beauty, and a huge amount of creators coming from the country. Since these talents are almost never given enough credit for all their amazing work, here are some filmmakers that will show you what Lebanon has to offer.
Hady Zaccak is an award winning documentary filmmaker who has written and directed over 20 documentaries since 1997. His accolades include winning Best Documentary at the 2011 Dubai International Film Festival.
What you should watch: Marcedes (2011), a documentary about the complex history of Lebanon and its war told through a car.
Joana Hadjithomas is a director, screenwriter, and producer. Her filmography includes over 10 films since 1994, and her film Around the Pink House (1999) was Lebanon’s official submission for Best Foreign Film at the 72nd Academy Awards.
What you should watch: A Perfect Day (2005), a film that shows a day in the life of insomniac Malek who lives with his mother who is struggling with her husband’s disappearance during the war.
Vatche Boulghourjian is a filmmaker who studied at NYU. His film The Fifth Column (2010) was awarded third prize at the Cannes Film Festival, as part of the Cinéfondation program.
What you should watch: Tramontane (2014), a film about a blind man on a search for his true identity.
Maroun Bagdadi was a director who witnessed a lot of local and international success. He worked with producer Francis Coppola, and was awarded the Jury Prize at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival for Out of Life (1991).
What you should watch: Little Wars (1982), a film that chronicles life in war-torn Beirut in a manner unlike any other.
Danielle Arbid is a filmmaker who works on documentaries, video essays, and fiction films. Her work has been screened in Cannes, New York, Tokyo, and San Francisco, among others. She was nominated twice for the CICAE award in Cannes, for Maarek Hobb (2004) and Un Homme Perdu (2007).
What you should watch: Beyrouth Hotel (2011), a film that follows a love story between a married singer and suspected French spy.
Ghassan Salhab is a screenwriter, director, and producer. His filmography is incredibly eclectic and interesting, and he has won several international awards, including the FIPRESCI Prize at the Fribourg International Festival for Al-Wadi (2014).
What you should watch: Al-Wadi (2014), a film that follows an amnesiac man’s capture by a drug producing group in the Bekaa Valley after a car crash.
