Beirut DC announces a Cinematic hub in March 2018: Beirut Cinema Screenings

Beirut Cinema Screenings is a new initiative that represents an extension of Beirut DC association’s events, more specifically of the Beirut Cinema Days Arab film festival. This new project will take part in a series of cinematic activities organized in collaboration with Lebanese, Arab and foreign cultural associations which will be announced soon. The biggest among these events is the Beirut Cinema Platform, an Arab platform for co-production organized by the Beirut DC Association and the Fondation Liban Cinema.

These four films, from four Arab productions of four different countries, directed by four women, deal with interesting contemporary themes. These films are characterized by their creativity and global widespread, whether in terms of co-production or in terms of participation in the most famous international film festival. We have chosen to present these films in parallel to the activities of Beirut Cinema Platform, due to their cinematic importance and the co-production between Arab and foreign producers, some of which have participated in the previous sessions of the Beirut Cinema Platform.

 

Maryam Al Ferjani in Kaouther Ben Hania’s “Beauty and the dogs”, opening film of 2018 Beirut Cinema Screenings

 

The Tunisian film Beauty and the dogs by Kaouther Ben Hania will be opening this first edition. The film is a Tunisian, French, Lebanese, Swiss, Swedish, Norwegian and Qatari production and had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the section Un Certain Regard. It has also participated in the first edition of Beirut Cinema Platform in 2015.

“The Blessed” by Sophia Djama

 

The second day will be dedicated to the award film The Blessed by Sophia Djama, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, won three awards in the Orizzonti section (Horizons) with the Best Actress award going to Lyna Khoudri and received the prize for best director at the Dubai International Film Festival. The film is French, Algerian and Belgian production.

 

Lebanese documentary “Panoptic” by director Rana Eid

As for the third day, the Lebanese documentary Panoptic by Rana Eid will be screened. Panoptic premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland and received the Enjaaz award for the Dubai Film Market in the frame of Beirut Cinema Platform.

 

Closing film “Wajib” by Annemarie Jacir, Best Feature Film winner at 2017 Dubai International Film Festival

 

And finally, the Palestinian film Wajib by Annemarie Jacir which had its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival, will be closing this edition. The film also won the Muhr prize for Best feature film at the Dubai International Film Festival and won the best actor award for Mohammed and Saleh Bakri. The film is a Palestinian, Lebanese, French and Colombian production.

 

These four films will be screened for the first time in Beirut as part of the Beirut Cinema Screenings which will take place between the 22^nd and the 25^th of March 2018 at the cinema Metropolis Empire Sofil – Ashrafieh. Two of the films Beauty and the dogs and Wajib will be released later on exclusively at the cinema Metropolis Empire Sofil.