- 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: "The experience [of filming] in Mosul was amazing, we filmed in the last area where IS fought, and in certain places we smelled the dead corpses under the rubble. After sunset, the army was with us and you could feel the tension in the air. In short, while heading back, when we were at the airport in Erbil, the whole crew had a smile on their faces. We were a limited crew and everyone felt that this was an unforgettable experience and an achievement in itself that we finished filming the shots."
- 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: LVA00ACIWCRX1
- 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
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