Lebanese filmmaker Myriam El Hajj’s feature-length documentary, Diaries From Lebanon, is set to premiere in Kenya with four screenings at Unseen Nairobi, starting on August 7 and continuing on August 14, 21, and 29.
The documentary explores the stories of Georges, Joumana, and Perla Joe, each embodying a different generation with distinct viewpoints on reconstructing Lebanon. As they navigate personal challenges amidst a backdrop of national turmoil, they wrestle with a profound question: can our aspirations endure in a world beset by chaos?
Originally titled in Arabic Mitl’ Osas el Hob (or Like Love Stories), this film is a collaborative production involving Lebanon, France, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
Myriam El Hajj wrote and directed the film and co-filmed it, alongside contributions from Jihad Saadé and Mohamed Siam. Georges Schoucair of Abbout Productions in Lebanon and Laurent Ruszniewski from GoGoGo Films in France led the production, with editing duties handled by Anita Perez and Stéphanie Sicard. MAD World, a subsidiary of MAD Solutions, manages the film’s global sales.
The documentary features esteemed personalities such as author and activist Joumana Haddad, Lebanese war veteran Georges Moufarej, and artist and activist Perla Joe Maalouli.
Diaries From Lebanon received support from multiple organisations, including the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC), the Fonds Image de la Francophonie, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, International Media Support (IMS), Visions Sud Est with backing from the SDC, and the Lebanese Film Fund, which is an initiative of the Fondation Liban Cinema.
Further financial assistance came from the Doha Film Institute, the Red Sea Fund, and the Atlas Workshops of the Marrakech International Film Festival. The documentary has also garnered accolades, clinching the Mactari Mixing Auditorium Award and the Titra Films Award at the Final Cut in Venice Workshop.
