LEBANON-FILM/FESTIVAL Foreign guests stay away from Beirut international film festival

Record ID: 135505

  • Title: LEBANON-FILM/FESTIVAL Foreign guests stay away from Beirut international film festival
  • Date: 8th October 2015
  • Summary: BEIRUT, LEBANON (OCTOBER 7, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WAITING BY RED CARPET OUTSIDE CINEMA MONTAIGNE, ONE OF THE VENUES OF THE BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (BIFF) SIGN READING (English): '15TH EDITION BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL' VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SITTING ON BENCH (SOUNDBITE )(Arabic) DIRECTOR OF THE BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, COLETTE NAUFAL,
  • Embargoed: 23rd October 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7OXIZLZRTB7A75CYETLHNB0R5
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Beirut International Film Festival (BIFF) kicked off in the Lebanese capital on Wednesday (October 7) - but this year's event has attracted few foreign guests.
    On opening night, festival director Colette Naufal said the films being screened reflected a host of topical issues.
    "There is something special in the festival this year, which is that the movies on the programme reflect the face of the universe. There is no film on the programme that does not deal with the problems of the universe: the environment, the weather, the sea or political problems and those of the migrants. This is the highlight of the festival this year," she said.
    However, with an ongoing civil war next door in Syria and instability in Lebanon itself, which has been without a head of state since May 2014 and has recently been hit by public protests triggered by a build-up of rubbish on the streets, she said the festival was missing some of its cosmopolitan flavour this year.
    "We are living in an unstable situation and we don't know what can happen in half an hour, an hour or two hours. So we don't have (international) guests this year. Some of them cancelled and we told some others that we would not host them this year because we can't take such a responsibility. We can't predict what can happen tomorrow, the country might close because of protests or troubles, we don't know, this is Lebanon but we are used to it," said Naufal.
    The Beirut festival boasts a selection of films from around the world, from Davis Guggenheim's documentary about 18-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai 'He Named Me Malala' to 'Amy', a biopic of the late British singer Amy Winehouse, as well as movies by local Lebanese directors.
    But in a blow to the country's reputation as a bastion of tolerance in a deeply conservative region, an announcement from organisers posted on the BIFF website just hours before the opening ceremony said that two scheduled films were no longer being shown, as they had failed to secure screening licences.
    'Wasp', by Lebanese-Swiss director Philippe Audi-Dor, depicts a love story between a homosexual man and a woman, whilst Brazilian director Lara Lee's 'Life is Waiting' tackles the issue of the Sahrawi people and the Western Sahara.
    Audi-Dor, who was at the festival's opening night, said he was "disappointed" by the news but was pleased to have been invited to the festival nonetheless.
    "Because I'm half Lebanese I come here quite a lot and I could understand that this film might not be for everyone and it's a bit of a delicate subject. I was hoping it would go ahead because they have screened films with characters which are gay in films here, and it's been OK, but not this time. I respect the censorship but I'm just a little bit disappointed, but overall we're still part of the festival, we're still part of the official selection. I think it shows how this festival is very audacious in its choices and it has a lot of relevance, so I don't know, I'm still very happy to be here," he said.
    The BIFF provides an opportunity for new and upcoming filmmakers to showcase their work, alongside more established directors in the business - something which festival-goers said they found refreshing.
    "The importance (of the festival)? We have to see films that aren't American blockbusters. So it's very nice," said Lebanese producer Joe Haddad.
    Festival-goer Maria Haddad said she had particularly enjoyed American director Mark Osborne's 'The Little Prince', an animated adaptation of the much-loved French children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
    "The film ('The Little Prince') is great, amazing. Everything about it is great, the story they added to the original book one is amazing, and the music is really great too. The festival is very important because it is introducing us to films from abroad, half of which don't make it into the cinema," she said.
    Francois Barras, the Swiss ambassador to Lebanon, said he felt the event held a deep meaning for the Lebanese people.
    "It's great we have such a festival here, and in Beirut, culture is much more than entertainment, it's oxygen and resistance," he said.
    The Beirut International Film Festival runs until October 15, 2015.
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