Lebanese film director keeps faith after COVID-19 dashes Cannes dreams

Record ID: 1559348

  • Title: Lebanese film director keeps faith after COVID-19 dashes Cannes dreams
  • Date: 18th June 2020
  • Summary: BEIRUT, LEBANON (JUNE 16, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF FILM "BROKEN KEYS", JIMMY KEYROUZ, SAYING: "Freedom of expression, there are a lot of places in the world, like Syria and Iraq, where it does not exist. It does exist in the West, but for us in this region, it is not for granted. Many people, maybe not me personally, are forced to fight and struggle to achieve freedom of expression."
  • Embargoed: 2nd July 2020 15:50
  • Keywords: Cannes Ezekiel Film Production Iraq Jimmy Keyrouz Lebanon Mosul Syria cinema coronavirus director festival film
  • Location: BEIRUT, NACCACHE, BYBLOS, BIAKOUT AND HERMEL, LEBANON / UNKNOWN
  • City: BEIRUT, NACCACHE, BYBLOS, BIAKOUT AND HERMEL, LEBANON / UNKNOWN
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
  • Reuters ID: LVA008CIWCRX1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Many directors would have been devastated when realising that their plan to show their first feature film at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival had been wrecked by the spread of COVID-19.
    But Lebanon's Jimmy Keyrouz said he took heart from the themes of his movie "Broken Keys", which tells the story of finding hope in the midst of disaster.
    The film, shot in Lebanon and in Iraq, follows a young man called Karim living somewhere in Iraqi and Syrian territory occupied by Islamic State militants. He dreams of escaping to Europe to become a musician.
    At the start of the film, fighters smash up his piano. He then tries to rebuild the instrument to sell it to fund his journey.
    Cannes chose the film for its 2020 line-up, alongside works by Wes Anderson and other star directors.
    But the world's biggest cinema showcase, usually held in May on the French Riviera, called off its events during the lockdown.
    Organisers of the festival this month published the list of their 56-film line-up, saying they still wanted to use the festival's cachet to help promote the movies.
    (Production: Imad Creidi)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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