Bryan Brown opens the first LFF in Sydney
Camille: In my view, Lebanese cinema has seen resurgence in recent times, particularly since 2010. Film schools at Lebanese universities are now of high calibre, whilst Beirut now hosts several film festivals including the Beirut International Film Festival, the Lebanese Film Festival (Beirut) and the Outbox International Short Film Festival (our partner festival). This shows that film is increasingly becoming an important art, but also more valued in Lebanese society.
documentaries based on war, tensions, way of life, struggle, corruption – and most of the time it’s interviewing ordinary people from different regions in the country. Most of the films are of great quality, some have strong arguments but need to execute them in a more engaging way – this does not necessarily mean it should have Hollywood style cinematography, but a stronger and clearer way of presenting the argument or facts. Nonetheless I think this trend in documentary filmmaking is really interesting, it says a lot about
Jessica: I have noticed a strong trend in documentary filmmaking in Lebanon at the moment. We have received so many submissions of
the traits of the national cinema, especially when in almost every documentary you are guaranteed to hear the sound of ongoing car horns in the cluttered streets of Beirut.